Patent Publication Number: US-11385193-B2

Title: Imaging device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an imaging device. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     There is known a technique for superimposing images of a plurality of tissue sections. PTL 1 discloses a method of obtaining an image for which position alignment is performed by an image alignment device. PTL 1 discloses a technique for performing position alignment by using radiation images of stimulable phosphor sheets of rat brain sections, selecting two images for which the position alignment is to be performed, extracting an outline of the brain section, and further extracting relatively prominent points as characteristic points. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     PTL 1: JP-A-5-298417 
     Summary of Invention 
     Technical Problem 
     In a case of observing a plurality of sample sections, generally the same position of each section may be observed. For example, in a case of observing a state of a sample at each depth along a depth direction of the sample, a plurality of sample sections are created by slicing the sample along a horizontal plane, and the same position of each sample section is observed. In order to specify a position corresponding among the sections, for example, characteristic points of the sections may be specified on observation images respectively, and the characteristic points may be associated among the sections. This is because the corresponding characteristic points are assumed to exist at substantially the same position. When each sample section is observed, an optical microscope or a charged particle beam device such as a scanning electron microscope is used, for example. 
     The sample can be observed at a high magnification using the charged particle beam device or the optical microscope, but on the other hand, a field of view is narrow because of the high magnification. Therefore, in a case of observing a sample at a high magnification, when substantially the same position of each section is observed as described above, it may be difficult to specify a part corresponding among the sections. 
     The invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the invention is to easily acquire images of a position corresponding among a plurality of sample sections in an imaging device that acquires images of the plurality of sample sections. 
     Solution to Problem 
     An imaging device according to the invention generates a cursor for specifying a first observation region and a contour portion of a first sample section, and superimposes the cursor on a contour portion of a second sample section so as to calculate coordinates of a second observation region of the second sample section. 
     Advantageous Effect 
     According to the imaging device of the invention, when images of a plurality of sample sections are acquired, images of a position corresponding among the sections can be easily acquired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of a charged particle beam device  101  according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing a procedure of imaging a continuous section sample  105  by using the charged particle beam device  101 . 
         FIG. 3  is an example of the continuous section sample  105  and an observation region. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing details of step S 203 . 
         FIG. 5  is an example of a screen interface displayed by a display device  130 . 
         FIG. 6A  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 404 . 
         FIG. 6B  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 406 . 
         FIG. 6C  is a specific example of a cursor  603  in step S 407 . 
         FIG. 7A  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 408 . 
         FIG. 7B  is a specific example of the screen interface in step S 408 . 
         FIG. 8  is another example of a screen interface displayed by the display device  130  in the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is an example of a screen interface displayed by the display device  130  in a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing details of step S 203  in the second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of a charged particle beam device  101  according to a first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the charged particle beam device  101  is a scanning electron microscope. The charged particle beam device  101  is configured as a scanning electron microscope capable of capturing an observation image of a sample. The charged particle beam device  101  includes a device main body  104  and a controller. The device main body  104  is configured such that a lens barrel  102  and a sample chamber  103  are integrated. The device main body  104  operates as an imaging unit that captures an image of a continuous section sample  105 . The controller includes an image acquisition unit  117 , a position input unit  118 , a position storage unit  119 , a position calculation unit  120 , a stage control unit  121 , an optical system control unit  122 , and a display device  130 , which will be described later. 
     The lens barrel  102  includes an electron gun  107  and an electron optical system  108 . The electron gun  107  emits an electron beam  106 . The electron optical system  108  controls a trajectory of the electron beam  106 . The electron optical system  108  includes a condenser lens  109 , a deflector  110 , and an objective lens  111 . The condenser lens  109  converges the electron beam  106  emitted from the electron gun  107 . The deflector  110  scans the electron beam  106 . The objective lens  111  converges the electron beam  106  such that the electron beam  106  is focused on a surface of the continuous section sample  105 . 
     By emitting the electron beam  106  to the continuous section sample  105 , and thus a signal  113  (for example, a secondary electron or a reflected electron) is generated. A detector  114  is disposed at an appropriate position in the lens barrel  102  or the sample chamber  103 , and detects the signal  113 . 
     The sample chamber  103  has a structure in which a sample table  112  is housed via a leading-in or leading-out port (not shown) that can be opened and closed. The continuous section sample  105  is placed on the sample table  112 . The sample chamber  103  further includes a sample stage  115  on which the sample table  112  is placed. 
     The sample stage  115  includes a stage control device  116 . The stage control device  116  moves or rotates the continuous section sample  105  in, for example, a horizontal plane and a direction perpendicular to the plane in the sample chamber  103 , thereby changing a position and an orientation of the continuous section sample  105  in the sample chamber  103 . The stage control device  116  is controlled by the stage control unit  121 , and the electron optical system  108  is controlled by the optical system control unit  122 . The electron beam  106  is emitted to any desired position of the continuous section sample  105 , and the generated signal  113  is detected by the detector  114 , so that the continuous section sample  105  can be observed at any desired position and at any magnification. 
     The image acquisition unit  117  converts the signal  113  detected by the detector  114  into observation image (hereinafter, referred to as electron microscope image) data. The image acquisition unit  117  transmits the electron microscope image data to the position calculation unit  120 . The position calculation unit  120  is configured with an information processing device such as a computer. The position calculation unit  120  performs a calculation to be described later using information received from the position input unit  118  and information stored in the position storage unit  119 . The stage control unit  121  and the optical system control unit  122  control the stage control device  116  and the electron optical system  108  respectively, using a calculation result of the position calculation unit  120 . 
     The display device  130  is, for example, a screen display device such as a display device, and displays an observation image of the continuous section sample  105  acquired by the image acquisition unit  117  on a screen. The display device  130  also displays a screen interface to be described later with reference to  FIG. 5  and subsequent drawings. The position input unit  118  receives a specifying input which is input with the screen interface. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing a procedure of imaging the continuous section sample  105  by using the charged particle beam device  101 . Hereinafter, each step in  FIG. 2  will be described. 
     FIG.  2 : Steps S 201  and S 202   
     A user places the continuous section sample  105  on the sample table  112 , and places the sample table  112  on the sample stage  115  (S 201 ). The user uses the charged particle beam device  101  to image an entire region  301  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 3  (S 202 ). 
     FIG.  2 : Step S 203   
     The position calculation unit  120  calculates coordinates of an observation region (a high-magnification region  304  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 3 ) in each sample section according to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 4  to be described later. The position storage unit  119  stores the coordinates of each observation region obtained by the position calculation unit  120 . When the observation region is rotated among the sample sections, rotation angles may be obtained together and stored. 
     FIG.  2 : Step S 204   
     The stage control unit  121  moves, according to the coordinates of each observation region stored in the position storage unit  119 , the sample stage  115  to a position where an image of each observation region can be acquired. Similarly, the optical system control unit  122  controls the electron optical system  108  according to the coordinates of each observation region stored in the position storage unit  119  such that the electron beam  106  is emitted to a position corresponding to each observation region. The image acquisition unit  117  acquires images of a medium-magnification region  303  and the high-magnification region  304  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 3  in the observation region. After these images are acquired, each image can be observed using the screen interface to be described later with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 3  is an example of the continuous section sample  105  and the observation region. The continuous section sample  105  is a sample in which a plurality of sections  302  are continuously arranged. It is assumed that each section has substantially the same shape. An example in which the shapes are different will be described later. It is assumed that the user observes substantially the same position of each section at a high magnification. 
     The entire region  301  is used for the user to visually recognize an arrangement and the number of the sections  302 . In step S 202 , the user visually recognizes the arrangement and the number of the sections  302  by capturing an image of the entire region  301 . 
     The high-magnification region  304  is a region that the user intends to observe. High-magnification region coordinates  305  are coordinates of the high-magnification region  304 . The high-magnification region coordinates  305  are, for example, center coordinates of the high-magnification region  304 . Other coordinates (for example, coordinates of each vertex of a rectangular region) may be used as the high-magnification region coordinates  305  as long as the high-magnification region  304  can be specified. 
     The medium-magnification region  303  is an image captured at a magnification between a magnification of the entire region  301  and a magnification of the high-magnification region  304 . When the user specifies the high-magnification region  304 , a part to be observed by the user needs to be included in the high-magnification region  304 . Therefore, the medium-magnification region  303  can be used to grasp characteristics included in the high-magnification region  304  to a certain extent. Specifically, when the user specifies the observation region in step S 203 , an image of the medium-magnification region  303  can be captured to assist the specification. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing details of step S 203 . Hereinafter, each step in  FIG. 4  will be described. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 401   
     The display device  130  displays the image of the entire region  301  on an entire region display unit  501  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 402   
     The user specifies any one section on the entire region display unit  501  as a first sample section on a screen shown in  FIG. 5  to be described later. The image acquisition unit  117  acquires an image of the medium-magnification region  303  of the specified first sample section. Coordinates of the medium-magnification region  303  may be an appropriate location of the first sample section (for example, a center of gravity, or a rectangular area centered on a position specified by the user on the screen). 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 403   
     The display device  130  displays the image of the medium-magnification region  303  imaged in step S 402  on a medium-magnification region display unit  502  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 5 . The position calculation unit  120  obtains coordinates of a medium-magnification region frame  601  in the entire region display unit  501  according to the coordinates of the medium-magnification region  303 . The display device  130  displays the medium-magnification region frame  601  at the coordinates. An example of the medium-magnification region frame  601  will be described again with reference to  FIG. 6A  to be described later. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 404   
     The position calculation unit  120  obtains coordinates of a high-magnification region indicator  503  (that is, the high-magnification region coordinates  305 ) for specifying the high-magnification region  304  in the medium-magnification region display unit  502 . The display device  130  displays the high-magnification region indicator  503  at the coordinates. The user moves the high-magnification region indicator  503  in the medium-magnification region display unit  502 . The position calculation unit  120  sequentially obtains the coordinates of the high-magnification region indicator  503  after the movement. A specific example of this step will be described again with reference to  FIG. 6A  to be described later. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 404 : Supplement 
     In this step, in order to make it easy to visually recognize the high-magnification region  304 , a peripheral region including a region specified by the high-magnification region indicator  503  may be enlarged and displayed on an enlarged region display unit  505  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 405   
     The position storage unit  119  stores the high-magnification region coordinates  305 . In the first embodiment, center coordinates of the high-magnification region indicator  503  are used as the high-magnification region coordinates  305 , but any coordinates inside the frame, on the frame, or outside the frame may be used as long as the coordinates of the high-magnification region indicator  503  can be specified. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 406   
     The user selects an outer shape  602  of the first sample section on the entire region display unit  501 . A specific example of this step will be described later with reference to  FIG. 6B  to be described later. This step may be performed before step S 402 , for example. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 407   
     The position calculation unit  120  creates and displays a cursor  603  in a state where a positional relationship between the outer shape  602  and the high-magnification region coordinates  305  specified by the user in step S 406  is maintained. The position storage unit  119  stores the positional relationship. A specific example of this step will be described later with reference to  FIG. 6C  to be described later. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 408   
     The user specifies another sample on the entire region display unit  501  as a second sample section. Subsequently, the user superimposes the outer shape  602  of the cursor  603  onto the second sample section and selects a corresponding part of the second sample section on the entire region display unit  501 . A specific example of this step will be described later with reference to  FIGS. 7A and 7B  to be described later. 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 409   
     The position calculation unit  120  calculates the high-magnification region coordinates  305  of the second sample section specified by the cursor  603 , and stores the high-magnification region coordinates  305  into the position storage unit  119 . 
     FIG.  4 : Step S 410   
     The user repeats the same processing as steps S 408  and S 409  for third and subsequent sample sections until the high-magnification region coordinates  305  are obtained for all the sample sections. 
       FIG. 5  is an example of a screen interface displayed by the display device  130 . The user inputs a specifying input in each step in  FIG. 4  by using the screen interface. The screen interface includes the entire region display unit  501 , the medium-magnification region display unit  502 , and the enlarged region display unit  505 . 
     The entire region display unit  501  displays the image of the entire region  301 . The entire region  301  includes a plurality of sample sections included in the continuous section sample  105 . In steps S 406  and S 408 , the user can specify the a contour portion and the high-magnification region coordinates of the first sample section on the entire region display unit  501  and can superimpose the cursor  603  on the contour portions of the second and subsequent sample sections. 
     The medium-magnification region display unit  502  displays an image of the medium-magnification region  303 . The medium-magnification region  303  has a function of displaying an image around the high-magnification region  304  at a lower magnification for the user to accurately specify the high-magnification region  304 . The medium-magnification region display unit  502  further displays the high-magnification region indicator  503  indicating the high-magnification region  304  specified by the user. The user specifies the high-magnification region  304  by moving the high-magnification region indicator  503  on the screen. A size and a shape of the high-magnification region  304  may be defined as shown in  FIG. 5 , or may be specified by the user on the screen, for example. 
     The enlarged region display unit  505  displays an image in which a periphery of the high-magnification region indicator  503  is enlarged at a higher magnification. When the user moves the high-magnification region indicator  503 , the enlarged region display unit  505  also changes the displayed image accordingly. A high-magnification region frame  504  corresponds to the high-magnification region indicator  503 . 
       FIG. 6A  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 404 . When the user moves the high-magnification region indicator  503  in the medium-magnification region display unit  502 , the image in the enlarged region display unit  505  also changes accordingly. Further, in order to grasp a relative position of the high-magnification region  304  on the sample section, a position of the high-magnification region  304  may also be displayed in the entire region display unit  501 . For example, along with a movement of the high-magnification region  304 , a position of an image (a mark + in  FIG. 6A ) indicating the high-magnification region coordinates  305  may be moved, or the medium-magnification region frame  601  may be moved. 
       FIG. 6B  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 406 . The user specifies the outer shape  602  of the first sample section in the entire region display unit  501 . The outer shape  602  may be extracted by using image processing, or the outer shape may be selected by manually selecting characteristic portions, and a method of specifying the outer shape is not particularly limited. The position calculation unit  120  calculates the high-magnification region coordinates  305  and stores the high-magnification region coordinates  305  into the position storage unit  119 . 
     The user can specify the outer shape  602 , for example, by tracing the contour of the first sample section on the screen, but a method of specifying the outer shape  602  is not limited thereto. For example, it is conceivable to specify the outer shape  602  by specifying four corner portions of the first sample section in  FIG. 6B . That is, the outer shape  602  can be specified by any method as long as the contour of the first sample section can be specified. 
       FIG. 6C  is a specific example of the cursor  603  in step S 407 . A frame of the outer shape may be displayed based on information of the outer shape specified in step S 406 , or a part of the outer shape may be displayed, a mark may be displayed on the characteristic portions, and the cursor is not particularly limited as long as the positions can be easily aligned. That is, it is sufficient that the outer shape of the cursor  603  can be superimposed on the contours of the second and subsequent section samples. 
       FIG. 7A  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 408 . The user superimposes the outer shape of the cursor  603  on the second section sample in the entire region display unit  501 . Since the high-magnification region coordinates  305  are included inside the cursor  603 , the high-magnification region coordinates  305  in a second section sample can be specified by superimposing the cursor  603  on the second section sample. The position storage unit  119  stores the coordinates. 
       FIG. 7B  is a specific example of a screen interface in step S 408 . The second section sample is not necessarily arranged in parallel with a first section sample. In this case, the user can specify the high-magnification region coordinates  305  by superimposing the cursor  603  on the second section sample by rotating the cursor  603  in the entire region display unit  501 . The cursor  603  on a right side of  FIG. 7B  is an example specified in this manner. The position storage unit  119  stores the specified position. A center around which the cursor  603  is rotated may be centered on a point inside the cursor  603  or may be centered on a region outside the cursor  603 . In addition, an appropriate method capable of rotating the cursor  603  according to an inclination of the second section sample may be used. 
     When a size of the second section sample is different from a size of the first section sample, the user may enlarge or reduce the cursor  603  in the entire region display unit  501 . The second cursor  603  from a right in  FIG. 7B  is an example of reduction. When the cursor  603  is enlarged or reduced, for example, a size adjustment mark is displayed at an end portion of the cursor  603  when the cursor  603  is selected on the screen, and a size can be enlarged or reduced by a method such as dragging the mark. The cursor  603  may be enlarged or reduced by any other method. Rotation, enlargement and reduction may be combined. 
       FIG. 8  is another example of the screen interface displayed by the display device  130  in the first embodiment. The position calculation unit  120  may display a sample section number  706  on the entire region display unit  501  every time step S 409  is completed. As a result, it is possible to easily visually recognize the sample section for which the high-magnification region coordinates  305  are stored. 
     First Embodiment: Summary 
     The charged particle beam device  101  according to the first embodiment superimposes the cursor  603  created by using a positional relationship among the outer shape  602  and the high-magnification region coordinates  305  in the first sample section on another sample section, thereby calculating the high-magnification region coordinates  305  in another sample section. Accordingly, since an operation of specifying the high-magnification region  304  for each sample section is simplified, the user can efficiently observe the continuous section sample  105  without spending much time searching for the high-magnification region  304 . 
     The charged particle beam device  101  according to the first embodiment can specify the high-magnification region coordinate  305  without emitting the electron beam  106  for the second and subsequent sample sections. Therefore, it is possible to prevent sample damage caused by irradiating the sample with the electron beam  106  to search for the high-magnification region  304  as in the related art. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 9  is an example of a screen interface displayed by the display device  130  according to a second embodiment of the invention. Since a configuration of the charged particle beam device  101  is the same as that of the first embodiment, differences regarding the screen interface shown in  FIG. 9  will be mainly described. 
     It is considered that when the sample sections of the continuous section sample  105  are of substantially the same shape and aligned in substantially the same direction, characteristic points corresponding among respective sections are regularly arranged. In the second embodiment, the cursor  603  is created using this fact, the cursor  603  for the second sample section is superimposed and selected while specifying the high-magnification region coordinates  305  for the first sample section, and the high-magnification region  304  of a third sample section is automatically obtained according to the correspondence relationship therebetween. The coordinates of each characteristic point can be input by the user specifying the coordinates of each point in the entire region display unit  501 . 
     When the sample sections are regularly arranged, the position calculation unit  120  calculates a vector amount  903  among high-magnification region coordinates  901  specified in a first section sample and high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in a second section sample. The position calculation unit  120  stores the vector amount  903  into the position storage unit  119 . It is considered that a positional relationship between the high-magnification region coordinates  901  specified in the first section sample and the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample is maintained also between the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample and high-magnification region coordinates  904  of a third section sample. The position calculation unit  120  calculates the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third sample section by applying the vector amount  903  based on the fact. Therefore, the user does not need to specify the high-magnification region coordinates  305  by superimposing the cursor  603  on the third sample section. A case where the arrangement is slightly shifted, such as sample section in a right side of  FIG. 9 , will be described later. 
     During obtaining of the vector amount  903 , the position calculation unit  120  does not necessarily compare the high-magnification region coordinates with each other. If the position calculation unit  120  can calculate a position after at least the cursor  603  is moved, the position calculation unit  120  may calculate the vector amount  903  by comparing the position after the cursor  603  is moved with other coordinates. For example, the vector amount  903  may be calculated by comparing reference points of the cursor  603  with each other. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing details of step S 203  according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, each step in  FIG. 10  will be described. 
     FIG.  10 : Steps S 1001  to S 1009   
     These steps are the same as steps S 401  to S 409 . 
     FIG.  10 : Steps S 1010  to S 1011   
     The position calculation unit  120  calculates the vector amount  903  described with reference to  FIG. 9  (S 1010 ). The position calculation unit  120  stores the vector amount  903  and the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified for the second section sample into the position storage unit  119  (S 1011 ). 
     FIG.  10 : Step S 1012   
     The position calculation unit  120  reads out the vector amount  903  and the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified for the second section sample from the position storage unit  119 . 
     FIG.  10 : Step S 1013   
     The position calculation unit  120  obtains the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample by applying the vector amount  903  to the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample. The same applies to fourth and subsequent section samples. The position calculation unit  120  can repeatedly use the vector amount  903  and the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample to the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third and subsequent section samples, or can sequentially apply the vector amount  903  between the high-magnification region coordinates in a previous sample section and the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of a certain one of the third and subsequent section samples to a next sample section. In this flowchart, it is assumed that the latter is used. In this case, the position calculation unit  120  acquires the positional relationship between the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample and the high-magnification region coordinates  305 . 
     FIG.  10 : Step S 1013 : Supplement No. 1 
     For example, in a case where the third sample section is arranged with a slight shift, when the vector amount  903  is applied to the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample, coordinates of a position slightly shifted from the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample are obtained. Even in such a case, in order to accurately acquire the coordinates of the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample, the position calculation unit  120  may search for the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample by an appropriate method such as pattern matching. For example, when the user specifies the high-magnification region coordinates  902  of the second section sample, an image and a shape of a second section are stored in the position storage unit  119  in advance as a reference pattern. The position calculation unit  120  searches for a partial region matching the reference pattern in the periphery of the coordinates obtained by applying the vector amount  903  to the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample. Accordingly, the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample can be accurately specified. 
     FIG.  10 : Step S 1013 : Supplement No. 2 
     The position calculation unit  120  compares an image in the periphery of coordinates obtained by applying the vector amount  903  to the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample with the reference pattern, and when the coordinates match the reference pattern, adopts the coordinates as the high-magnification region coordinates  902  specified in the second section sample as it is. When the coordinates do not match the reference pattern, a reference pattern may be further searched for in a peripheral region, or a message prompting the user to specify the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample may be displayed. 
     FIG.  10 : Steps S 1014  to S 1015   
     The position calculation unit  120  calculates the vector amount  903  between a previous sample and a next sample in the same manner as in step S 1010  (S 1014 ). The position calculation unit  120  stores the vector amount  903  and the high-magnification region coordinates  904  of the third section sample into the position storage unit  119  (S 1015 ). 
     FIG.  10 : Step S 1016   
     The user repeats the same processing as steps S 1012  to S 1015  for the fourth and subsequent sample sections until the high-magnification region coordinates  305  are obtained for all the sample sections. 
     Second Embodiment: Summary 
     The charged particle beam device  101  according to the second embodiment applies the vector amount  903  between the high-magnification region coordinates  901  specified in the first section sample and the high-magnification region coordinates  902  of the second section sample to the third and subsequent sample sections, so as to automatically calculate the characteristic point and the high-magnification region coordinates  305  in each sample section. Accordingly, particularly when the sample sections are sufficiently aligned, an operation load for the user to specify the characteristic point or the like can be reduced. 
     Modification Example of Invention 
     The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modification examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described above. In addition, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of one embodiment can be added to the configuration of another embodiment. A part of the configuration of each embodiment can be added to, deleted from, and replaced with other configurations. 
     In the first and second embodiments, it is described that the charged particle beam device  101  operates as an imaging device by being configured as a scanning electron microscope, whereas the invention can also be similarly applied to a case where another charged particle beam device such as a focused ion beam (FIB) device or a transmission electron microscope operates as the imaging device. The invention can be similarly applied to an imaging device such as a confocal laser microscope and a fluorescence microscope. 
     In the above embodiments, an image of the medium-magnification region  303  may be displayed in the entire region display unit  501  instead of or in combination with the medium-magnification region display unit  502 . For example, the image of the medium-magnification region  303  may be reduced and displayed in the medium-magnification region frame  601  in  FIG. 6A . 
     In the above embodiment, although a living tissue is shown as the continuous section sample  105 , an imaging efficiency can also be significantly improved by applying the technique to other samples in which a plurality of samples having similar structures are arranged. 
     REFERENCE SIGN LIST 
     
         
           101 : charged particle beam device 
           102 : lens barrel 
           103 : sample chamber 
           104 : device main body 
           105 : continuous section sample 
           106 : electron beam 
           107 : electron gun 
           108 : electron optical system 
           109 : condenser lens 
           110 : deflector 
           111 : objective lens 
           112 : sample table 
           113 : signal 
           114 : detector 
           115 : sample stage 
           116 : stage control device 
           117 : image acquisition unit 
           118 : position input unit 
           119 : position storage unit 
           120 : position calculation unit 
           121 : stage control unit 
           122 : optical system control unit