1. A mold for forming at least one molded product each having at least one tapered wall, said mold comprising:
a frame; and
at least one mold cavity, each mold cavity defined by a plurality of cavity walls, and each mold cavity having an open top through which moldable material can be introduced into the mold cavity,
wherein at least one of the plurality of cavity walls is a movable wall having a planar product-forming surface, each movable wall having:
a first attachment point to a slot or channel of a stationary element supported by said frame, said first attachment point being slidable and rotatable within said slot or channel; and
a second attachment point to an end of a pivot element rotatably attached at another end thereof to a pivot point of said stationary element, said second attachment point being rotatable,
wherein said first attachment point functions together with said pivot element to allow for each movable wall to pivot between an open, vertical position and a closed, tapered position, and
wherein the mold assembly engages and separates from a pallet upon which each molded product is formed so as to force each movable wall to said closed and open positions respectively by rotating and sliding each first attachment point respectively upwardly and downwardly along its respective slot or channel and by rotating each pivot element end about its respective second attachment point and pivot point.
2. The mold according to claim 1, wherein each mold cavity includes two movable walls.
3. The mold according to claim 2, wherein the two movable walls of each mold cavity oppose one another.
4. The mold according to claim 1, wherein said mold assembly is moved toward and away from said pallet using production machinery.
5. The mold according to claim 1, wherein in the open position, at least a portion of each movable wall extends below a bottom portion of the remainder of said mold assembly.
6. The mold according to claim 1, wherein said first attachment point is provided by a cam.
7. The mold according to claim 1, wherein said second attachment point is provided by a screw, pin, or rivet.
8. The mold according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable attachment of said pivot element to said pivot point is provided by a screw, pin, or rivet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A charged particle beam device, comprising;
an irradiation optical system for irradiating a charged particle beam to a sample to be observed;
an imaging optical system for imaging a charged particle beam emitted or reflected from the sample;
a power supply unit for applying a first DC voltage to the sample;
a base stage for moving the sample;
a rotary stage for rotating the sample on the base stage;
a sample holder disposed on the rotary stage for holding the sample, and
a sample electric field control electrode that is provided in the outer periphery of the rotary stage, being independent from the rotary stage, for varying an equipotential plane on the sample,
wherein, when the sample is held on the sample holder, a gap exists between the sample and the sample electric field control electrode mechanism,
wherein the sample electric field control electrode has applied thereto a second DC voltage from the power supply unit and is provided along the outer circumference of an edge of the sample, when the sample is held on the sample holder,
wherein the sample electric field control electrode applies the second DC voltage for varying the equipotential plane in accordance with the rotation of the rotary stage during imaging with the charged particle beam, and
wherein the sample electric field control electrode makes the equipotential plane on the sample horizontal as far as the edge of the sample by varying the equipotential plane at the gap,
the charged particle beam device further comprising:
an electric field control plate that surrounds the periphery of the sample and is disposed on the sample holder,
an insulator provided between the sample holder and the electric field control plate,
a charge control electron gun for charging the electric field control plate by irradiating an electron beam to the electric field control plate, and
an ultraviolet light source for neutralizing the electric field control plate by irradiating ultraviolet rays to the electric field control plate,
wherein the voltage of the electric field control plate is controlled by electron beam irradiation with the charge control electron gun and by ultraviolet ray irradiation with the ultraviolet light source.
2. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1,
wherein the base stage has a linear stage for linearly moving the sample, and a Z-stage for varying a height position of the sample.
3. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1,
wherein the rotary stage is a \u03b8 stage that is unlimitedly rotatable on the base stage.
4. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1,
wherein the power supply unit for applying the first DC voltage to the sample has an electrode that is in contact with the rotary stage at a rotation center of the rotary stage.
5. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1,
wherein the electric field control electrode is provided on a part of the periphery or over the whole of the periphery of the sample.
6. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, further comprising;
a device control unit,
an image processing unit for processing an image obtained by the imaging optical system, and
a monitor that is connected to the image processing unit and has a GUI function,
wherein a display screen of the monitor includes; an image display part for displaying an observed image, and a stage-voltage operation part for operating a position of the rotary stage and an applied the second DC voltage to the sample electric field control electrode.
7. The charged particle beam device according to claim 6,
wherein the image display part of the monitor displays a state of image shift of an acquired image when the base stage is moved.
8. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1,
wherein the second DC voltage applied to the sample electric field control electrode is set according to the rotation angle of the rotary stage.
9. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a storage part for retaining a table storing the rotary stage rotation angle in correspondence with the second DC voltage applied by the sample electric field control electrode.
10. A charged particle beam device comprising;
an irradiation optical system for irradiating a charged particle beam to a sample to be observed;
an imaging optical system for imaging a charged particle beam emitted or reflected from the sample;
a base stage for moving the sample;
a rotary stage for rotating the sample on the base stage;
a sample holder disposed on the rotary stage for holding the sample, and
a power supply unit that has an electrode being in contact with the rotary stage at the rotation center of the rotary stage and applies a first DC voltage to the sample; and
a sample electric field control electrode that is provided in the outer periphery of the rotary stage, being independent from the rotary stage, for varying an equipotential plane on the sample,
wherein, when the sample is held on the sample holder, a gap exists between the sample and the sample electric field control electrode mechanism,
wherein the sample electric field control electrode has applied thereto a second DC voltage from the power supply unit and is provided along the outer circumference of an edge of the sample, when the sample is held on the sample holder,
wherein the sample electric field control electrode applies the second DC voltage for varying the equipotential plane in accordance with the rotation of the rotary stage during imaging with the charged particle beam, and
wherein the sample electric field control electrode makes the equipotential plane on the sample horizontal as far as the edge of the sample by varying the equipotential plane at the gap,
the charged particle beam device further comprising:
an electric field control plate that surrounds the periphery of the sample and is disposed on the sample holder,
an insulator provided between the sample holder and the electrical field control plate;
a charge control electron gun for charging the electric field control plate by irradiating an electron beam to the electric field control plate; and
an ultraviolet light source for neutralizing the electric field control plate by irradiating ultraviolet rays to the electric field control plate;
wherein the second DC voltage of the electric field control plate is controlled by electron beam irradiation with the charge control electron gun and by ultraviolet ray irradiation with the ultraviolet light source.
11. The charged particle beam device according to claim 10, further comprising;
a linear stage for linearly moving the sample, and a \u03b8-stage for rotating the sample on the linear stage,
wherein the sample electric field control electrode is provided in the periphery of the \u03b8-stage, and is supplied with a predetermined voltage through a first wiring from a power supply unit.
12. The charged particle beam device according to claim 10, further comprising
a device control unit;
an image processing unit for processing an image obtained by the imaging optical system; and
a storage device that retains data giving a relation between a discrete measured rotation angle of the rotary stage and a second DC voltage from the power supply unit to the sample electric field control electrode for each rotation angle of the sample;
wherein the sample electric field control electrode has applied thereto a second DC voltage from the power supply unit and adjusts the applied second DC voltage at the time of rotation of the sample; and
wherein the device control unit obtains a setup voltage with respect to an arbitrary rotation angle of the rotary stage by performing an interpolation calculation from the data and controls the second DC voltage of the sample electric field control electrode.
13. The charged particle beam device according to claim 12,
wherein the power supply unit applies the first DC voltage to the sample by an electrode making contact with the sample at the rotation center.
14. The charged particle beam device according to claim 12,
wherein the sample surface is inspected on a plurality of concentric circles on the sample surface,
by inspecting the sample while making one rotation of the rotary stage, and
subsequently by repeating sequentially an operation of inspecting the sample while moving the irradiation position of the charged particle beam on the sample surface by \u0394R in a radial direction, and further rotating the rotary stage in the same direction.
15. The charged particle beam device according to claim 12,
wherein the inspection of the sample surface is performed along one strand of a spiral curved line continuous on the sample surface,
by performing the inspection of the sample continuously while rotating the rotary stage in one direction and at the same time moving an irradiation position of the charged particle beam by an amount \u0394R in a radial direction.