Sample chamber device for electron microscope, and electron microscope comprising same

A sample chamber device for an electron microscope, comprising:

• a first vacuum chamber having an aperture formed in a top surface portion thereof such that an electron beam emitted from a body tube is incident through the aperture, and including a vacuum holding plate sealing a hole of a bottom surface portion from outside, the hole facing the aperture;
• a second vacuum chamber located in parallel to the bottom surface portion of the first vacuum chamber while being in contact with the first vacuum chamber, and sealing a bottom surface portion with the vacuum holding plate, the bottom surface portion having a hole formed therein;
• an external connection portion for the first and second vacuum chambers;
• an electron detector located in the first vacuum chamber;
• and
• a sample holder being horizontally movable to the position of the vacuum holding plate while the first and second vacuum chambers are maintained in a vacuum state, and having a sample groove formed therein,
• wherein the sample groove is configured to be horizontally moved and exposed to the first or second vacuum chamber,
• wherein the first and second vacuum chambers and the sample holder are formed of a material capable of shielding radioactive rays including X-rays,
• wherein the first vacuum chamber comprises:
• the top surface portion having the aperture formed in the center thereof such that the electron beam passes through the aperture;
• the bottom surface portion facing the top surface portion, and having the hole formed at a position facing the aperture of the top surface portion such that the beam passes through the hole;
• a side surface portion airtightly connecting the corners of the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion so as to form a first space therein, and having a vacuum exhaust part formed therein;
• a first ring-shaped sealing member being in airtight contact with an outer surface of the bottom surface portion at the first space, and surrounding the hole;
• and
• the vacuum holding plate being in contact with the first ring-shaped sealing member to form a sealed second space with the first ring-shaped sealing member and the bottom surface portion surrounded by the first ring-shaped sealing member, and moveable in the horizontal direction,
• wherein the second vacuum chamber comprises:
• a space portion forming a third space therein, and having a vacuum exhaust part formed therein;
• a bottom surface portion having a hole formed at a predetermined distance from the hole of the bottom surface of the first vacuum chamber;
• a second ring-shaped sealing member surrounding the hole of the bottom surface of the second vacuum chamber and the first ring-shaped sealing member surrounding the hole of the bottom surface portion of the first vacuum chamber;
• and
• a vacuum holding plate being in contact with first and second ring-shaped sealing members at the same time so as to form the second and third spaces, and moveable in the horizontal direction,
• wherein the external connection portion for the first and second vacuum chambers comprises:
• a track part fixing the sample holder such that the sample holder brought in contact with the vacuum holding plate with a linear sealing member interposed therebetween is horizontally moved while coming in contact with the first and second ring-shaped sealing members, in order to push out the vacuum holding plate while maintaining the airtightness of the second space, after the sample groove of the sample holder is placed in the third space to perform vacuum exhaust;
• and
• an elastic member applying a restoring force to the vacuum holding plate to face the formation positions of the second and third spaces, such that the vacuum holding plate maintains airtightness with the sample holder with the linear sealing member interposed therebetween,
• wherein the electron detector is located on the inner surface of the top surface portion at the first space in the first vacuum chamber.

A sample chamber device for an electron microscope, comprising:

• a first vacuum chamber having an aperture formed in a top surface portion thereof such that an electron beam emitted from a body tube is incident through the aperture, and including a vacuum holding plate sealing a hole of a bottom surface portion from outside, the hole facing the aperture;
• a second vacuum chamber located in parallel to the bottom surface portion of the first vacuum chamber while being in contact with the first vacuum chamber, and sealing a bottom surface portion with the vacuum holding plate, the bottom surface portion having a hole formed therein;
• an external connection portion for the first and second vacuum chambers;
• an electron detector located in the first vacuum chamber;
• and
• a sample holder being horizontally movable to the position of the vacuum holding plate while the first and second vacuum chambers are maintained in a vacuum state, and having a sample groove formed therein,
• wherein the sample groove is configured to be horizontally moved and exposed to the first or second vacuum chamber,
• wherein the first and second vacuum chamber and the sample holder are formed of a material capable of shielding radioactive rays including X-rays,
• wherein the sample holder is formed in a plate shape which is brought in airtight contact with the vacuum holding plate, and
• wherein the sample groove is placed in the second space when the vacuum holding plate is pushed out to form the second space, and secures a level difference to protect a sample when the sample holder is horizontally moved while coming in contact with first and second ring-shaped sealing members.