Patent ID: 7700931

Claim:
An ion beam processing apparatus comprising: a sample stage that holds a sample; an ion source that generates an ion beam; an ion beam irradiation optical system that irradiates the ion beam to the sample held on the sample stage; a charged particle beam irradiation optical system that observes a section of the sample processed by the ion beam; wherein the ion beam processing apparatus has a tilting ability to vary an angle of irradiation, at which the ion beam is irradiated to the sample, by rotating the sample stage about the tilting axis of the sample stage; wherein the ion beam processing apparatus is structured so that an axis along which the ion beam is drawn out of the ion source and an ion beam irradiation axis along which the ion beam is irradiated to the sample will meet at an angle; wherein the ion beam processing apparatus is structured so that a segment drawn by projecting the axis, along which the ion beam is drawn out of the ion source, on a plane perpendicular to the ion beam irradiation axis is substantially parallel to a segment drawn by projecting the tilting axis of the sample stage on the plane perpendicular to the ion beam irradiation axis; wherein the ion beam processing apparatus is structured so that the segment drawn by projecting the axis, along which the ion beam is drawn out of the ion source, on the plane perpendicular to the ion beam irradiation axis is substantially parallel to the processed section of the sample.