JPH0760129B2 - Magnetically coupled sample exchange device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ultra-vacuum X-ray analyzer such as a photoelectron spectrometer, and a magnetic field for safely closing a gate valve by a position detection signal of an exchange rod in a vacuum. The present invention relates to a combined sample exchange device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 2 is a view showing a conventional sample exchange device, 1 is a sample exchange chamber, 2 is a sample measurement chamber, 3 is a gate valve, 4, 6, 14, 22 are vacuum seals, 5 is a sample exchange rod device, 7 Is a pipe, 8 is a linear motion bearing, 9 is a housing, 10 is an exchange rod, 11 is a sample holder, 12 is a pole piece, 13 is an exchange port lid, 15 is a magnet, 16 is a pneumatic cylinder, 17 is a solenoid valve,
18, 19 and 20 are pipes, 21 is a goniometer, 23 is a goniometer stage, 24 is a sample holder, and 25 is a microhead.

The sample exchange chamber 1 and the sample measurement chamber 2 are connected via a gate valve 3, and a vacuum seal 4 is provided at each connection portion so that the internal space can withstand vacuum.

The sample exchange rod device 5 is attached to the opposite side of the gate valve 3 in the sample exchange chamber 1, and the sample exchange rod device 5 and the pipe 7 made of a thin non-magnetic material whose end is closed via a vacuum seal 6 are provided.
Is fixed, and a housing 9 having two linear motion bearings 8 is fixed to the inside of the sample exchange chamber 1 side, and is guided by the linear motion bearing 8 by an exchange rod 10 to slide left and right. A sample holder 11 is attached to the exchange rod 10 in the sample exchange chamber 1, and a pole piece 12 made of a magnetic material is fixed to the other end of the exchange rod 10. In the sample exchange chamber 1, an exchange port lid 13 for chucking the sample holder 11 with the sample attached to the exchange rod 10 is provided via a vacuum seal 14. Further, a magnet 15 guided by the pipe 7 is arranged outside the pipe 7. The gate valve 3 is provided with a pneumatic cylinder 16 for opening and closing.
Is connected to the solenoid valve 17 via two pipes 18 and 19 for sending compressed gas, and the solenoid valve 17 is provided with a pipe 20 for introducing compressed gas.

A goniometer 21 is mounted at a symmetrical position of the gate valve 3 in the sample measuring chamber 2 via a vacuum seal 22. The goniometer 21 is provided with a goniometer stage 23 in the sample measuring chamber 2, and a sample holder 24 for mounting a sample is provided on the goniometer stage 23. In addition, the sample measuring chamber 2 of the goniometer 21
A micro head 25 that can finely move the sample back and forth, left and right, and up and down is provided on the outside of the.

Normally, the sample measurement chamber 2 for performing photoelectron spectroscopy must be maintained in an ultra-high vacuum of about 10 ^-8 Pa regardless of whether or not work is performed in the sample measurement chamber, so when the sample boulder 16 is inserted into the sample measurement chamber 2. In order to avoid the inflow of gas molecules from the sample exchange chamber 1 as much as possible, the gate valve 3 is opened and closed by a pneumatic cylinder 16 using compressed gas so that the sample exchange can be performed in a short time.

When the sample is placed on the goniometer stage 23, first, the magnet 15 is slid to the left, and the exchange rod 10 is slid to the left together with the magnetically coupled pole piece 12, and then the switch for closing the gate valve 3 ( (Not shown) to operate the flow path switching shaft in the solenoid valve 17 to form a compressed gas flow path for the compressed gas pipe 20, the solenoid valve 17 and the pipe 19 and compress it to the closed side of the pneumatic cylinder. Gas is sent under pressure, the piston in the pneumatic cylinder 16 is driven, the gate valve 3 is closed, the sample exchange chamber is leaked to the atmosphere, and then the exchange port lid 13 is opened to exchange the sample holder 11 on which the sample is placed. Attach to the rod 10 and replace the lid
Close 13 Then, the sample exchange chamber 1 is set to, for example, 10 ⁻⁵ to 10 ^−6.
After exhausting to about Pa, operate the opening switch (not shown) of the gate valve 3 to cut off the electric path of the solenoid valve 17,
The flow path switching shaft in 17 is actuated by a spring force to switch the flow path of the compressed gas, and the compressed gas pipe 20, the solenoid valve 17 and the pipe 18 are formed to open the compressed gas to the pneumatic cylinder 16. To the side to drive the piston in the pneumatic cylinder to open the gate valve 3. After that, slide the magnet 15 to the right,
Along with the pole piece 12 magnetically coupled to the magnet 15, the exchange rod 10 is slid into the sample measurement chamber 2, the sample is placed on the sample pedestal 24 on the goniometer stage 23, and the magnet 15 is rotated to remove the exchange rod 10. Turn and remove the exchange rod screwed into the sample holder. Next, the magnet 15 is slid to the left, the exchange rod 10 is pulled out from the sample measuring chamber 2, and the gate valve 3 is closed by operating the opening / closing switch of the gate valve 3.
The sample measuring chamber 2 is evacuated to a predetermined ultrahigh vacuum, and the sample is measured.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, in the case of the conventional magnetic coupling type sample exchange device, since the magnet on the atmosphere side and the pole piece in vacuum are not in contact with each other, even if the magnet is slid, for example, the pole piece is caught somewhere. The exchange rod in the vacuum may not follow. The moving position of the replacement rod is not displayed, and the opening / closing operation of the gate valve and the sliding operation of the replacement rod are not linked and operate independently, so malfunctions, malfunctions, etc. Causes the exchange rod sample holder to remain in the sample measurement chamber, and the exchange rod extends from the sample exchange chamber to the sample measurement chamber and is in the opening / closing position of the gate valve between the sample exchange chamber and the sample measurement chamber. Occasionally, the gate valve may be closed, resulting in an accident that damages the exchange rod, sample holder, or gate valve.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the position sensor detects the position of the exchange rod in the vacuum, and the magnetically coupled sample capable of closing the gate valve only at the predetermined position. An object is to provide a switching device.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, the magnetic coupling type sample exchange device of the present invention includes a sample exchange rod in a vacuum that slides by magnetically coupling with a magnet that slides in the atmosphere, and a sample holder fixed to the tip of the sample exchange rod. In a magnetic coupling type sample exchanging device in which the exchanging rod is slid to move the sample holder between the sample exchanging chamber and the sample measuring chamber through the gate valve, a detecting means for detecting the position of the sample exchanging rod and the detecting means Of the sample exchange rod position detection signal and a safety circuit for controlling to close the gate valve based on the gate valve closing instruction signal, and there is no sample exchange rod at the opening / closing operation position of the gate valve, and the gate valve closing instruction is issued. The feature is that the gate valve is closed when there is a signal.

[Action]

According to the present invention, the sample exchange chamber is provided with a position sensor for the exchange rod and a safety circuit that closes the gate valve only when the sensor is in a predetermined position according to the detection signal of the position sensor. The sample can be replaced safely and reliably.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a magnetic coupling type sample exchange device of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 indicate the same contents.
31 is a pipe, 32 is a vacuum seal, 33 and 35 are vacuum flanges, 34 is a bolt, 36 is a hermetic seal, 37 is an electrode rod, 38 is a conductor, 39 is a screw, 40 is a contact, 41 is a transistor, 42 Is a resistor, 43 is a switch, 44 is an exchange rod, and 45 is an insulator.

In the figure, one end of the pipe 31 made of non-magnetic material on the sample exchange chamber 1 side is attached to the sample exchange chamber 1 via a vacuum seal 6,
Vacuum flange made of non-magnetic material attached to the open end
Vacuum flange 32 of non-magnetic material through vacuum seal 32 to 33 35
Are fixed with bolts 34. Two electrode rods 37 of a hermetic seal 36 are provided at the center of the vacuum flange 35, a conductor 38 is fixed to one end of the vacuum rod 35 by a screw 39, and a leaf spring contact 40 is electrically connected. One of the electrode rods 37 is grounded and the other is connected to the base of the transistor 41,
Further, the base is grounded to a positive low potential via the pull-up resistor 42 and to the ground via a switch 43 which is always connected to the OPEN side. The collector of the transistor 41 is grounded to a positive high potential via the solenoid valve 17, and the emitter is grounded.

On the other hand, the sample holder 11 is attached to one end of the sample exchange chamber 1 of the exchange rod 44 that slides the linear motion bearing 8 provided in the housing 9 fixed to the pipe 31 on the sample exchange chamber 1 side, and the other side. Is attached to the pole piece 12 and an insulator 45 at the tip.

Next, the operation will be described.

To close the gate valve 3 to attach the sample holder 11 on which the sample is placed to the exchange rod 44, or to close the gate valve 3 to perform measurement after placing the sample holder 11 on the sample holder 24 of the goniometer stage 23. First, the magnet
Magnetically coupled pole piece by sliding 15 to the left
2, the exchange rod 44 is moved to the left, and as can be seen from FIG. 2, the gate rod 3 extending between the sample exchange chamber 1 and the sample measurement chamber 2 extends from the sample exchange chamber 1 to the sample measurement chamber 2. Retract the gate valve to the left of the opening / closing position so that it is not in the opening / closing position. At this time, the exchange rod 44
The insulator 45 fixed to the tip of the two separates the two contactors 40, the contactors 40 are no longer in conduction with each other, and the transistor 41
The base of the is grounded through the switch 43. In this case, when the switch 43 is pushed to the CLOSE side and the base of the transistor 41 is disconnected from the ground, the base potential becomes positive, and a current flows from the positive high potential through the electrode coil of the solenoid valve 17 to the emitter of the transistor 41 from the collector. , The solenoid valve 17 is operated to form the compressed gas pipe 20, the solenoid valve 17 and the pipe 19 are formed, the compressed gas is pumped to the pneumatic cylinder 16, and the piston of the pneumatic cylinder 16 is driven to drive the gate. Close valve 3. In this way, when the gate valve 3 is closed, the contact 40
Is separated and non-conducting only. That is, the exchange rod 44 is fully drawn into the pipe 31 from the state where the exchange rod 44 is in the opening / closing operation position of the gate valve between the sample exchange chamber 1 and the sample measurement chamber 2 as described above. And
The gate valve 3 can be closed by setting the switch 43 to CLOSE only when the tip of the exchange rod 44 is located in the sample exchange chamber 1, in other words, only when the exchange rod 44 is not in the opening / closing operation position of the gate valve.

When the sample holder 11 is placed on the sample holder of the goniometer 21, when the sample holder 11 on which the sample is placed is slid to the right along with the exchange rod 44 by the sliding of the magnet 15, the contact 40 comes into contact with the transistor 41. The base of is grounded. Switch 40
Is on the OPEN side except when pressed to the CLOSE side, so the base of transistor 41 is grounded and
The current flowing through the solenoid valve 17 is cut off with. The flow path switching shaft in the solenoid valve 17 is actuated by the spring force to switch the flow path of the compressed gas to form the compressed gas pipe 20, the solenoid valve 17 and the pipe 18, and to compress the compressed gas into the pneumatic cylinder 16. And the piston in the pneumatic cylinder is driven to open the gate valve 3.

It is also possible to use a photodetector or a proximity detector that can be used in a vacuum and is not affected by magnetism as the position detector.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is detected that the sample exchange rod is not in the opening / closing operation position of the gate valve, and the gate valve is closed only when the sample exchange rod is not in the opening / closing operation position of the gate valve. It is possible to prevent the exchange rod, the sample holder or the gate valve from being damaged because the exchange rod does not follow the movement.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a magnetic coupling type sample exchanging device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional magnetic coupling type sample exchanging device. 1 ... Sample exchange chamber, 2 ... Sample measurement chamber, 3 ... Gate valve,
4,6,14,22 ... vacuum seal, 5 ... sample exchange rod device, 7 ... pipe, 8 ... linear motion bearing, 9 ... housing, 10 ... exchange rod, 11 ... sample holder, 12 ... pole piece,
13 ... Lid for exchange port, 15 ... Magnet, 16 ... Pneumatic cylinder,
17 ... Solenoid valve, 18, 19, 20 ... Piping, 21 ... Goniometer, 23 ...
Goniometer stage, 24 ... Sample holder, 25 ... Micro head,
31 ... Pipe, 32 ... Vacuum seal, 33,35 ... Vacuum flange, 3
4 ... Bolt, 36 ... Hermetic seal, 37 ... Electrode rod, 38
… Conductors, 39… Screws, 40… Contacts, 41… Transistors, 42
… Resistors, 43… Switches, 44… Exchange rods, 45… Insulators.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample exchange rod in vacuum that is magnetically coupled to a magnet that slides in the atmosphere and slides, and a sample holder fixed to the tip of the sample exchange rod. In the magnetic coupling type sample exchanging device in which the holder is moved in and out between the sample exchanging chamber and the sample measuring chamber through the gate valve, detection means for detecting the position of the sample exchanging rod,
A sample exchange rod position detection signal from the detection means, and a safety circuit for controlling to close the gate valve based on a gate valve closing instruction signal, and there is no sample exchange rod at the opening and closing operation position of the gate valve, A magnetic coupling type sample exchange device, characterized in that the gate valve is closed when a gate valve closing instruction signal is given.