JP2904625B2 - Scanning tunneling microscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scanning tunneling microscope capable of preventing contamination of a sample and a probe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A scanning tunnel microscope controls a voltage applied to a piezoelectric element to scan a probe close to a sample surface, and detects a tunnel current to measure a distance between the sample and the probe. This is a device for observing the surface shape of the sample. In this case, before observing the sample, pretreatment such as removal of water in the sample, heating of the sample, and formation of a film by sputtering or vapor deposition is required. If this occurs, gas adsorption and oxidation will occur, and the sample will be contaminated, making it impossible to observe the surface of the sample. This also poses a problem in exchanging the probe.

For this purpose, conventionally, a sample processing chamber and a sample exchange chamber are provided before the sample observation chamber, and the sample and the probe are processed in the sample processing chamber under the same high vacuum as the sample observation chamber. Thereafter, a method of preventing contamination of the sample and the probe by moving the sample and the probe into the sample observation chamber without exposing the sample and the probe to the atmosphere is known.

[0004]

By the way, a plurality of samples and a probe can be stored in the sample processing chamber, and the sample once observed is stored in the sample processing chamber.
I am able to observe it again. However, when exchanging the sample and the probe, the degree of vacuum in the sample processing chamber is reduced to the degree of vacuum in the sample exchange chamber because the sample processing chamber communicates with the sample exchange chamber. There is a problem that the sample and the probe are somewhat contaminated, which adversely affects the surface observation of the sample.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a scanning tunnel microscope capable of preventing contamination of a sample and a probe.

[0006]

For this purpose, a scanning tunneling microscope according to the present invention has a sample observation chamber and a sample processing chamber which are evacuated to an ultra-high vacuum, and a sample exchange chamber which is evacuated to a lower level than the above chamber. in the scanning tunneling microscope, a door provided and between the sample processing chamber and the sample observation chamber of the <br/> specimen-exchange chamber and the sample processing chamber, the storage holder is provided before Symbol specimen observation chamber, A transfer holder provided in the sample processing chamber, a transfer device for transferring the transfer holder, a transfer device for transferring a sample and a probe between the sample exchange chamber and the transfer holder, the storage holder and the transfer holder A transfer device for exchanging a sample and a probe between the sample and the probe.

[0007]

In the conventional case, the sample and the probe are stored in the sample processing chamber. However, when the sample and the probe are exchanged, the sample processing chamber communicates with the sample exchange chamber. As a result, the sample and the probe were contaminated as a result of decreasing to the degree of vacuum in the sample exchange chamber, but in the present invention, the opening and closing door was opened to store the sample and the probe in the sample observation chamber. Even if the sample processing chamber and the sample observation chamber are communicated with each other, both are in an ultra-high vacuum, so that contamination of the sample and the probe is prevented.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a scanning tunneling microscope 1 according to the present invention.
It is sectional drawing which shows an Example.

A sample processing chamber 3 of the scanning tunnel microscope 1 is connected to a sample processing chamber 3 adjacent thereto, and a sample exchange chamber 5 is connected to the sample processing chamber 3 adjacent to the sample processing chamber 3. An opening / closing door 6 is provided between the sample observation room 2 and the sample processing room 3, and an opening / closing door 7 is provided between the sample processing room 4 and the sample exchange room 5. Sample observation room 2
And the sample processing chamber 3 is evacuated to an ultra-high vacuum.
Is set at a lower vacuum level than the sample observation chamber 2 and the sample processing chamber 3 because it can communicate with the atmosphere.

An observation stage 9 that is slid in the X and Y directions is provided in the sample observation chamber 2, and a sample S is detachably mounted on the observation stage 9. A unit 10 is provided, and this unit 1
The probe T is detachably attached to the tip of the zero. A storage holder 11 is rotatably provided in front of the observation stage 9, and the sample S and the probe T are stored in the storage holder 11.

The sample exchange chamber 5 has a first
Is provided in the sample processing chamber 3, and a second transfer device 13 is provided in the sample processing chamber 3 so as to face the opening / closing door 6, and a second transfer device 12 for transferring between the first and second transfer devices 12, 13 is provided. Three transfer devices 15 are provided. Each transport device 12,
Each of the transport rods 13 and 15 has a transport rod 17 arranged at an interval in a case 16, and a mounting portion 19 is provided at one end of the transport rod 17, and a fixed magnet 20 is provided at the other end of the transport rod 17. Provided. A cylindrical movable magnet 21 is fitted around the outer periphery of the case 16 so as to face the fixed magnet 20, and the rotation and sliding of the movable magnet 21 are transmitted to the fixed magnet 20 to rotate the transport rod 17. It is possible to move and slide.

The sample S or the probe T is made detachable at the mounting portion 19 of the first and second transporting devices 12 and 13, and the movable holder 2 is attached to the mounting portion 19 of the third transporting device 15.
2 is fixed. Then, by the first transfer device 12,
The sample S or the probe T is exchanged between the sample exchange chamber 5 and the movable holder 22 in the sample processing chamber 3, and the second transfer device 13 transfers the sample S or the probe T to the movable holder 22 in the sample processing chamber 3 and observes the sample. The sample S or the probe T is exchanged between the storage holder 11, the observation stage 9, and the piezoelectric element drive unit 10 in the chamber 2.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the storage holder 11, in which FIG. A is a front view as viewed from the direction A in FIG. 1, and FIG. B is as viewed in the direction of the arrow along the line BB in FIG. It is sectional drawing.

The storage holder 11 is composed of a disk member 25 having a rotating shaft 23.
6, and a plurality of screws 27 are fixed,
The sample S can be fitted into the recess 26, and the probe T
Can be attached. A notch 29 is formed on the outer periphery of the disk member 25, and the notch 29 is used to allow the transfer rod 17 of the second transfer device 13 to pass therethrough. Alternatively, the sample S or the probe T can be exchanged with the piezoelectric element drive unit 10.

The operation of the present invention having the above configuration will be described. In the conventional case, in the sample processing chamber 3, the plurality of movable holders 22 are connected in series in the transport direction, and the sample and the probe are stored in the plurality of movable holders 22. Sometimes, since the opening and closing door 7 is opened to allow the sample processing chamber 3 and the sample exchange chamber 5 to communicate with each other, the degree of vacuum in the sample processing chamber 3 is reduced to the degree of vacuum in the sample exchange chamber 5 and stored in the sample processing chamber 3. There is a problem that the sample and the probe that are used are contaminated, which adversely affects the surface observation of the sample. However, in the present invention, since the sample and the probe are stored in the sample observation chamber 2, even if the opening / closing door 6 is opened, the sample processing chamber 3 and the sample observation chamber 2 are both in an ultra-high vacuum state. The probe is prevented from being contaminated, and the surface of the sample can be observed in an optimal state.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, in the above embodiment, one sample processing chamber 3 is provided, but a plurality of sample processing chambers may be provided. In that case, the storage holder may be arranged after the second sample processing chamber. I just need.

[0017]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in a scanning tunnel microscope having a sample exchange room, a sample processing room and a sample observation room, a sample and a probe are stored in the sample observation room. Even when the sample processing chamber and the sample observation chamber are communicated with each other, both are in an ultrahigh vacuum state, so that contamination of the sample and the probe is prevented, and the surface of the sample can be observed in an optimal state.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a scanning tunneling microscope according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a sample and a probe storage holder according to the present invention, and FIG. A is a front view seen from a direction A in FIG.
FIG. B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Sample observation room, 3 ... Sample processing room, 5 ... Sample exchange room,
6, 7 ... opening and closing door 11 ... storage holder, 12, 13, 15 ... transport device, 2
2. Moving holder

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An ultra-high vacuum sample observation chamber and sample processing chamber.
And management chamber, in a scanning tunneling microscope having a specimen-exchange chamber which is at a low level of vacuum from the chamber, is provided and between the sample processing chamber and the sample observation chamber of the specimen-exchange chamber and the sample processing chamber and door, a storage holder provided in the specimen observation chamber, and moving the holder provided in the sample processing chamber, a transfer device for transferring the movement holder,
A transfer device for transferring the sample and the probe between the sample exchange chamber and the movable holder, and a transfer device for transferring the sample and the probe between the storage holder and the movable holder are provided. Scanning tunnel microscope.