# US 12,222,303 B2 · Transmissive small-angle scattering device

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- Number: US 12,222,303 B2
- Document ID: US12222303B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/228,021
- Filed: 2023-07-31
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-28
- Assignees: Rigaku Corporation
- Applicants: Rigaku Corporation
- Inventors: Naoki Matsushima; Kiyoshi Ogata; Sei Yoshihara; Yoshiyasu Ito; Kazuhiko Omote; Hiroshi Motono; Shigematsu Asano; Katsutaka Horada; Sensui Yasuda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222303B2

## CPC

- G01N 23/201: by measuring small-angle scattering
- G01N 23/20016: Goniometers
- G01N 23/20025: Sample holders or supports therefor
- G01N 2223/054: small angle scatter
- G01N 2223/309: support of sample holder
- G01N 2223/3306: object rotates
- G01N 2223/6116: semiconductor wafer
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A transmission type small-angle scattering device of the present invention includes a goniometer 10 including a rotation arm 11. The rotation arm 11 is freely turnable around a θ-axis extending in a horizontal direction from an origin with a vertical arrangement state of the rotation arm 11 being defined as the origin, and has a vertical arrangement structure in which an X-ray irradiation unit 20 is installed on a lower-side end portion of the rotation arm 11, and a two-dimensional X-ray detector 30 is installed on an upper-side end portion of the rotation arm 11 to form a vertical arrangement structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transmission type small-angle scattering device comprising:
a goniometer including a rotation arm;
an X-ray irradiation unit installed on the rotation arm;
a two-dimensional X-ray detector installed on the rotation arm; and
a sample holder in which a sample as an inspection target is placed, wherein
the rotation arm is freely turnable around a θ-axis extending in a horizontal direction from an origin, with a vertical arrangement state of the rotation arm being defined as the origin,
the sample placed in the sample holder is irradiated with focused X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiation unit from a lower side of the sample, and the two-dimensional X-ray detector is configured to detect scatter X-rays generated around the focused X-rays transmitted through the sample at a position above the sample, and
the transmission type small-angle scattering device further comprises an χ-axis swing mechanism for swinging the sample holder around an χ-axis, wherein the χ-axis swing mechanism is configured to change an optical axis angle of incident X-rays with respect to the sample placed in the sample holder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transmission type small-angle scattering device according to claim 1, further comprising a sample positioning mechanism for moving the sample holder, wherein the sample positioning mechanism includes an in-plane rotation mechanism for causing the sample supported by the sample holder to rotate within a plane, a Y-axis moving mechanism for moving the sample holder in a longitudinal direction, an X-axis moving mechanism for moving the sample holder in a lateral direction, and a Z-axis moving mechanism for moving the sample holder in a vertical direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The transmission type small-angle scattering device according to claim 1, further comprising inclination measuring means for measuring an inclination of a surface of the sample with respect to an optical axis of the incident X-rays.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The transmission type small-angle scattering device according to claim 3, wherein the inclination measuring means comprises a laser inclination measuring device for irradiating the surface of the sample supported by the sample holder with laser light from a laser light source, and detecting laser light reflected from the surface by a laser detector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The transmission type small-angle scattering device according to claim 1, wherein the χ-axis, around which the χ-axis swing mechanism is configured to swing the sample holder, intersects at a right angle with the θ-axis of the goniometer.