Methods and systems for sample transfer
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsKrishna Kanth Neelisetty, Milos Trenz, Jindrich Vondruska, Jakub Stetina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Air sensitive sample may be transferred between charged particle instruments or between charged particle instrument and a glove box using a sample transfer system. The sample transfer system includes a transfer shuttle for receiving a sample carrier and a transfer rod detachable coupled to the transfer shuttle. The transfer rod moves the sample carrier into or out of the transfer shuttle.
Claims18
A sample transfer system for transferring a sample carrier into or out of a vacuum chamber, comprising:
- a transfer shuttle including a shuttle chamber for receiving the sample carrier;
- and
- a transfer rod detachably coupled to the transfer shuttle, wherein the sample carrier is transferrable into or out of the shuttle chamber by operating the transfer rod, wherein the transfer rod includes a transfer post and a shell extending along a longitudinal axis of the transfer rod, and operating the transfer rod includes sliding the transfer post relative to the shell.
A method for transferring a sample into a vacuum chamber, comprising:
- attaching a first side of a transfer shuttle to a sample loader fixed to a wall of the vacuum chamber, wherein a transfer rod is detachably coupled to a second side of the transfer shuttle;
- fluidically connecting a distal end of the transfer rod with the sample loader while keeping the shuttle chamber hermitically sealed from the rod and the sample loader;
- providing vacuum to the sample loader;
- fluidically connecting a shuttle chamber of the transfer shuttle with the vacuum chamber;
- and
- transferring a sample carrier from the shuttle chamber into the vacuum chamber by operating the transfer rod.
A method for transferring a sample out of a vacuum chamber, comprising:
- mechanically coupling a sample carrier holding the sample to a shuttle carrier of a transfer shuttle, wherein the shuttle carrier is locked to a transfer rod detachably connected with the transfer shuttle, wherein the transfer rod includes a transfer post and a shell extending a long a longitudinal axis of the transfer rod, and operating the transfer rod includes sliding the transfer post relative to the shell;
- transferring the sample carrier from the vacuum chamber into a shuttle chamber of the transfer shuttle by operating the transfer rod;
- hermetically sealing the shuttle chamber from the vacuum chamber;
- and
- detaching the transfer shuttle from the vacuum chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.