# US 10,504,690 B2 · Sample holder and electron microscope

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- Number: US 10,504,690 B2
- Document ID: US10504690B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/007,276
- Filed: 2018-06-13
- Published: 2018-12-27
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-23
- Assignees: JEOL Ltd.
- Applicants: JEOL Ltd.
- Inventors: Kazuki Yagi; Takeo Sasaki; Ichiro Onishi; Shuichi Yuasa; Masashi Shimizu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504690B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
- H01J 37/09: Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields
- H01J 37/10: Lenses
- H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
- H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/30: Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects
- H01J 2237/0266: electromagnetic
- H01J 2237/2445: Photon detectors for X-rays, light, e.g. photomultipliers
- H01J 2237/24485: Energy spectrometers
- H01J 2237/26: Electron or ion microscopes
- H01J 2237/2802: Transmission microscopes
- H01J 2237/2809: characterised by the imaging problems involved
- H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A sample holder capable of limiting X-rays accepted into an X-ray detector is provided. The sample holder is for use in an electron microscope equipped with a polepiece assembly and a semiconductor detector. The sample holder includes: a sample stage on which a sample is held; and a shield plate. When the sample stage has been introduced in the sample chamber of the electron microscope, the shield plate is located between the polepiece assembly and the semiconductor detector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sample holder for use in or with an electron microscope having an objective lens and at least one X-ray detector, the objective lens including a polepiece assembly, said sample holder comprising:
a sample stage on which a sample is held;
a shield plate which is placed between the polepiece assembly and the X-ray detector when the sample stage has been introduced in a sample chamber of the electron microscope; and
a shaft portion and a frame mounted on a front end of the shaft portion, and wherein said sample stage is mounted to the frame,
wherein said polepiece assembly has a top polepiece and a bottom polepiece,
said sample stage is inserted between the top polepiece and the bottom polepiece, and
said shield plate is located between the bottom polepiece and said X-ray detector when the sample stage has been introduced in said sample chamber, and
wherein said shield plate is mounted to said frame, and wherein the shield plate protrudes from the frame toward a side of said bottom polepiece when said sample stage has been introduced in said sample chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sample holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein when said sample stage has been introduced in said sample chamber, said shield plate protrudes along an optical axis of said objective lens.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sample holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein when said sample stage has been introduced in said sample chamber, said shield plate protrudes at an angle to an optical axis of said objective lens.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sample holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shield plate is configured to be detachable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sample holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one X-ray detector of said electron microscope is two in number, and wherein when said sample stage has been introduced in said sample chamber, said shield plate is disposed between one of the two X-ray detectors and said polepiece assembly and between the other of the two X-ray detectors and the polepiece assembly.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An electron microscope including the sample holder as set forth in claim 1.