Specimen preparation apparatus
AssigneesJEOL Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science
InventorsSatoru Akai, Ayumi Morioka, Nobuo Handa, Akira Kurokawa, Kazuhiro Kumagai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lower-side structure forms a specimen chamber in which a specimen base is provided. An upper-side structure forms a nozzle chamber above the specimen chamber. The specimen chamber and the nozzle chamber are separated by a gate valve. In the nozzle chamber, at least a tip opening of a nozzle that ejects a specimen is present. A control device maintains a relationship of gas pressures such that a gas pressure in the specimen chamber is higher than a gas pressure in the nozzle chamber when the lower-side structure and the upper-side structure are in communication with each other.
Claims8
A specimen preparation apparatus comprising:
- a lower-side structure that forms a specimen chamber in which a specimen base is provided, the lower-side structure comprising:
- a first gas pipe in communication with a supply gas and configured to release the supply gas to the specimen chamber;
- and
- a vacuum pipe in communication with a vacuum source and configured to remove gas from the specimen chamber;
- an upper-side structure that forms a nozzle chamber above the specimen chamber, the upper-side structure comprising:
- a second gas pipe in communication with the supply gas and configured to release the supply gas to the nozzle chamber;
- a relief valve configured to remove gas from the nozzle chamber;
- and
- a nozzle comprising a nozzle tip configured to eject a specimen;
- the specimen base further comprising a cooler that cools the specimen base;
- a gate valve that separates the specimen chamber and the nozzle chamber;
- a controller;
- and
- memory storing programming instructions configured to control the controller to maintain a relationship of gas pressures such that a gas pressure in the specimen chamber is higher than a gas pressure in the nozzle chamber when the specimen chamber and the nozzle chamber are in communication with each other by at least:
- controlling release of the supply gas into the specimen chamber through the first gas pipe inlet;
- controlling removal of gas from the specimen chamber through the vacuum pipe;
- controlling introduction of the supply gas into the nozzle chamber through the second gas pipe;
- and
- controlling transfer of gas between the specimen chamber and the nozzle chamber through the gate valve,
- wherein the controller is further programmed or configured to control the gas pressure such that the gas pressure in the specimen chamber is higher than the gas pressure in the nozzle chamber after the specimen base is cooled by the cooler and before the gate valve is opened and to open the gate valve in response to the specimen base having a temperature equal to or lower than a preset threshold temperature and the gas pressure in the specimen chamber being higher than the gas pressure in the nozzle chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.