JP3472056B2 - Sample transfer device for electron microscope - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sample moving device for an electron microscope. [0002] In a transmission electron microscope (TEM),
Assuming that the direction of the electron beam optical axis is the Z axis, the axis direction of the sample moving axis is a X axis on a plane perpendicular to the electron beam optical axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X axis is the Y axis, the sample moving axis of the sample moving device is The support member is mounted in the support member so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and the support member is supported by the microscope body by a spherical bearing, and is movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. [0003] Among them, the X-axis moving mechanism has a conventional structure shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the electron beam optical axis. The microscope main body 1 is provided with a sample moving shaft 3 that penetrates the vacuum side and the atmosphere side of the sample chamber 2 and is connected to a sample holder 4 that holds a sample 4a.
Is mounted movably in the X-axis direction in a support member supported by a spherical bearing (not shown) on the microscope main body 1, and is configured to be movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions via the spherical bearing. . The microscope main body 1 is formed with a cylindrical mounting hole 5 that penetrates the sample chamber 2 and the atmosphere at a predetermined angle with respect to the sample moving shaft 3. In the mounting hole 5, a contact surface 6 having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 5 is formed near the sample chamber 2, and a flat abutment surface 7 is formed in the opening of the mounting hole 5 on the atmosphere side. Is formed. And the mounting hole 5
, A cylindrical support member 9 is mounted. At the front end of the support member 9, a seal holding portion 10 is formed, and at the rear end of the support member 9, a flange 1 abuts against the abutting surface 7.
1 is formed, and 0 is provided between the seal holding portion 10 and the contact surface 6.
A ring 12 is provided, and the sample ring 2 and the atmosphere side are vacuum-sealed by the O-ring 12. A moving lever 13 is mounted in the support member 9. The moving lever 13 includes a rotating shaft 15 provided on the support member 9 in the Z-axis direction.
Is mounted to be rotatable. The sample chamber 2 side of the moving lever 13 extends in a direction perpendicular to the sample moving shaft 3, and has an engaging hole 16 formed at the tip thereof. The engaging hole 16 is formed in the sample moving shaft 3. The joint 17 is engaged, and the atmospheric pressure acting on the sample moving shaft 3 is supported by the moving lever 13. A bellows 18 is provided between the moving lever 13 and the support member 9, and the sample chamber 2 and the atmosphere are vacuum-sealed. Further, a sample moving motor 19 is mounted on the atmosphere side of the support member 9, and the slider 20 is moved by the motor 19 to rotate the moving lever 13, thereby moving the sample moving shaft 3 in the X-axis direction. It is configured as follows. In the above-mentioned conventional sample moving device, the moving lever 1 supporting the sample moving shaft 3 is used.
The rotation shaft 15 is fixed to the support member 9 and the support member 9 is fixed to the microscope main body 1 at the abutting surface 7. A gap D is provided between the holding members 10 to prevent the holding member 10 from abutting against the contact surface 6 and prevent the positional accuracy after assembly from being deteriorated. However, since one end of the support member 9 is located on the atmosphere side, the support member 9 thermally expands or contracts due to a change in the temperature of the atmosphere, so that the center position of the rotating shaft 15 of the moving lever 13 moves. Thus, there is a problem that the position of the sample 4a moves. The support member 9 has a relatively long distance from the abutment surface 7 to the rotating shaft 15 that supports the moving lever, and has a cantilever structure in which the support member 9 is fixed to the abutment surface 7. Therefore, there is a problem that the earthquake resistance is relatively weak. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and prevents the movement of a sample caused by thermal expansion or contraction of members constituting a sample moving device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sample moving device for an electron microscope capable of improving earthquake resistance. In order to achieve the above object, a sample moving apparatus for an electron microscope according to the present invention comprises: a sample moving shaft mounted on a microscope main body so as to be movable in an axial direction; A mounting hole formed through the mounting hole, an abutting surface formed in a portion having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the mounting hole formed in the mounting hole, and a first mounting mounted to abut the abutting surface.
A second support member mounted in the mounting hole on the atmosphere side with respect to the first support member and fixed to the microscope main body at a distance from the first support member, and a center position thereof A rotating shaft provided on the first support member such that the moving surface is on the same plane as the abutting surface, a moving lever rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft and supporting the sample moving shaft, A sample movement motor mounted on the second support member for rotating the movement lever. According to the present invention, the support member for supporting and rotating the sample moving lever is divided into the first support member and the second support member. 2 does not affect the position of the rotating shaft of the moving lever, even if the supporting member 2 thermally expands or contracts due to temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere.
Also, even if the first support member thermally expands or contracts,
Since the code center position of the rotation axis is on the same plane as the abutting surface, the position of the rotation axis does not move. Further, since the center position of the rotating shaft is on the same plane as the abutting surface, the first support member does not have a cantilever structure as in the related art, so that the earthquake resistance can be improved. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a transmission electron microscope (TEM) as one embodiment of a sample moving device for an electron microscope according to the present invention, and is a view showing a cross section perpendicular to an electron beam optical axis. The direction of the electron beam optical axis is defined as the Z axis, the axis direction of the sample movement axis on a plane perpendicular to the electron beam optical axis is defined as the X axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X axis is defined as the Y axis. In FIG. 1, a sample moving shaft 3 connected to a sample holder 4 for holding a sample 4a is mounted on a microscope main body 1 through the vacuum side and the atmosphere side of a sample chamber 2, and the sample moving shaft is mounted. Numeral 3 is mounted movably in the X-axis direction in a support member supported by a spherical bearing (not shown) on the microscope main body 1, and is configured to be movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions via the spherical bearing. I have. The microscope main body 1 is formed with a cylindrical mounting hole 5 that penetrates the sample chamber 2 and the atmosphere side at a predetermined angle with respect to the sample moving shaft 3. In the mounting hole 5, a contact surface 6 having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 5 is formed near the sample chamber 2, and a flat contact surface 7 is formed in an opening of the mounting hole 5 on the atmosphere side. Is formed. A first cylindrical support member 21 is mounted in the mounting hole 5. An abutting portion 22 is formed at the tip of the first support member 21, and abuts against the abutting surface 6, and the O-ring 12 is provided in an annular groove on the inner peripheral side of the abutting portion 22. The sample chamber 2 and the atmosphere side are vacuum-sealed by the O-ring 12. The first support member 21 is provided in the mounting hole 5.
A cylindrical second support member 23 is mounted at an interval, and a compression spring 25 is disposed between the first support member 21 and the second support member 23. The rear end of the second support member 23 has a flange 11 that abuts against the abutment surface 7.
Are formed and fixed to the microscope main body 1. A motor 19 for moving the sample is mounted on the flange 11. First support member 21 and second support member 23
Inside, a moving lever 13 is mounted. Moving lever 1
3 is rotatably mounted on a rotating shaft 15 fixed to the first support member 21 in the Z-axis direction. The center position of the rotating shaft 15 is set to be on the same plane as the abutting surface 6. The sample chamber 2 side of the moving lever 13 extends in a direction perpendicular to the sample moving shaft 3, and an engaging hole 16 is formed at a tip of the moving chamber 13. The engaging hole 16 is formed in the sample moving shaft 3. The portion 17 is engaged so that the atmospheric pressure acting on the sample moving shaft 3 is supported by the moving lever 13. The engagement portion between the engagement hole 16 and the engagement portion 17 has a spherical bearing structure, and allows movement in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. A bellows 18 is provided between the moving lever 13 and a rear portion of the first support member 21, and the sample chamber 2 and the atmosphere side are vacuum-sealed. A slider 20 that is moved by a sample movement motor 19 is in contact with the atmosphere side of the movement lever 13. The operation of the present invention having the above configuration will be described. When the slider 20 is moved, for example, downward in the figure by the sample moving motor 19, the moving lever 13 rotates clockwise about the rotation shaft 15 so that the sample moving shaft 3 resists the atmospheric pressure. To the atmosphere side in the X-axis direction.
Is moved upward in the figure, the moving lever 13 rotates counterclockwise, and the sample moving shaft 3 is moved by the atmospheric pressure.
It is moved to the sample chamber 2 side in the axial direction. In the present invention, the supporting member for supporting and rotating the sample moving lever 13 is the first supporting member 2.
Since the first support member 23 is divided into the first support member 23 and the second support member 23, even if the second support member 23 thermally expands or contracts due to a temperature change of the atmosphere, the position of the rotary shaft 15 of the moving lever 13 is affected. Even if the first support member 21 thermally expands or contracts, the center position of the rotating shaft 15 is on the same plane as the abutting surface 6, so that the position of the rotating shaft 15 does not move. Even if the moving lever 13 thermally expands or contracts, it can only expand and contract in a direction parallel to the contact surface between the engaging hole 16 of the moving lever 13 and the engaging portion 17 of the sample moving shaft 3. It does not affect the movement of the shaft 3 in the X-axis direction. Further, since the center position of the rotating shaft 15 is on the same plane as the abutting surface 6, the first support member 21 does not have a cantilever structure as in the related art, so that the earthquake resistance can be improved. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment,
Although the first support member 21 is pressed by the compression spring 25, the first support member 21 may be fixed to the microscope main body 1 by a bolt or the like instead of using the compression spring 25.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to an optical axis. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section. [Description of Signs] 1 ... microscope main body, 2 ... sample chamber, 3 ... sample moving axis, 4 ... sample holder, 4a ... sample, 5 ... mounting hole, 6, 7 ... butting surface, 11 ... flange, 12 ... O Ring, 13: moving lever, 15: rotating shaft, 16: engaging hole, 17: engaging portion,
18 bellows, 19 sample moving motor, 20 slider, 21 first support member, 22 butting portion, 2
3: second support member, 25: compression spring

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] (1) A sample moving shaft axially movably mounted on a microscope main body, a mounting hole formed through the microscope main body, and a mounting hole formed in the mounting hole. small diameter and I than the inner diameter of the mounting hole
Abutment surface formed on a portion of the first support member, a first support member mounted so as to contact the abutment surface, and the first support member
A second support member mounted in the mounting hole on the atmosphere side with respect to the member and fixed to the microscope main body at an interval from the first support member, the center position of which is on the same plane as the abutting surface; A rotating shaft provided on the first supporting member, a moving lever rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft and supporting the sample moving shaft, and a moving lever mounted on the second supporting member. A sample moving device for an electron microscope, comprising: a sample moving motor for rotating a lever.