# US 12,374,520 B2 · Tweezers, conveyance device, and method for conveying sample piece > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,374,520 B2 - Document ID: US12374520B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/922,204 - Filed: 2020-05-01 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Granted: 2025-07-29 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-01 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Inventors: Naoki Samura; Tsunenori Nomaguchi; Shinsuke Kawanishi; Yaku Maeda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12374520B2 ## 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 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/3005: {Observing the objects or the point of impact on the object} - G01N 2001/2873: {Cutting or cleaving} - H01J 2237/2007: Holding mechanisms - H01J 2237/208: Elements or methods for movement independent of sample stage for influencing or moving or contacting or transferring the sample or parts thereof, e.g. prober needles or transfer needles in FIB/SEM systems - H01J 2237/31745: for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers - H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - 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 Tweezers 8, which can grip a sample piece 9, includes a gripping member 8a1 and a gripping member 8a2. The gripping member 8a1 includes a gripping region 8c1 and an abutment region 8b1, and the gripping member 8a2 includes a gripping region 8c2 and an abutment region 8b2. The gripping region 8c1 and the gripping region 8c2 include a gripping surface SF1 and a gripping surface SF2 for gripping the sample piece 9, respectively. The abutment region 8b1 protrudes from the gripping region 8c1 in a direction directed from the gripping surface SF1 to the gripping surface SF2, and the abutment region 8b2 protrudes from the gripping region 8c2 in a direction directed from the gripping surface SF2 to the gripping surface SF1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Tweezers configured to clamp a sample piece to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device, the tweezers comprising: a first clamping member; and a second clamping member, wherein the first clamping member includes a first clamping region where the sample piece slides in a clamped state, and a first abutment region which is integrated with the first clamping region and against which the sliding sample piece abuts, the second clamping member includes a second clamping region where the sample piece slides in a clamped state, and a second abutment region which is integrated with the second clamping region and against which the sliding sample piece abuts, the first clamping region includes a first surface for clamping the sample piece, the second clamping region includes a second surface that faces the first surface and is for clamping the sample piece, the first abutment region protrudes from the first clamping region in a direction directed from the first surface to the second surface, and the second abutment region protrudes from the second clamping region in a direction directed from the second surface to the first surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A conveyance device including the tweezers according to claim 1, the conveyance device comprising: a stage for placing a sample; a carrier for mounting the sample piece; a sample piece obtaining function for taking out the sample piece from a part of the sample by using the tweezers when the sample is placed on the stage; and a sample piece mounting function for mounting the sample piece clamped by the tweezers on the carrier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The conveyance device according to claim 2, further comprising: a manipulator connected to the tweezers; and a control unit configured to control the manipulator, wherein the tweezers are operated and moved by the manipulator based on a control signal from the control unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The conveyance device according to claim 2, further comprising: an imaging medium configured to observe a clamping state of the sample piece by the tweezers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The conveyance device according to claim 4, further comprising: an electron beam column configured to emit an electron beam or an ion beam column configured to emit an ion beam; and a detector configured to detect a secondary electron emitted from an observation target to which the electron beam or the ion beam is emitted, wherein the imaging medium includes the electron beam column or the ion beam column, and the detector. ### Claim 6 Tweezers configured to clamp a sample piece to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device, the tweezers comprising: a first clamping member; and a second clamping member, wherein the first clamping member includes a first clamping region and a first abutment region integrated with the first clamping region, the second clamping member includes a second clamping region and a second abutment region integrated with the second clamping region, the first clamping region includes a first surface for clamping the sample piece, the second clamping region includes a second surface that faces the first surface and is for clamping the sample piece, the first abutment region protrudes from the first clamping region in a direction directed from the first surface to the second surface, the second abutment region protrudes from the second clamping region in a direction directed from the second surface to the first surface, the first abutment region includes a third surface closer to the second clamping member than the first surface, the second abutment region includes a fourth surface that faces the third surface and is closer to the first clamping member than the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface include a concave portion and a convex portion, respectively, and the third surface and the fourth surface face each other such that a concave portion of the third surface is fitted to a convex portion of the fourth surface and a convex portion of the third surface is fitted to a concave portion of the fourth surface. ### Claim 7 Tweezers configured to clamp a sample piece to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device, the tweezers comprising: a first clamping member; and a second clamping member, wherein the first clamping member includes a first clamping region and a first abutment region integrated with the first clamping region, the second clamping member includes a second clamping region and a second abutment region integrated with the second clamping region, the first clamping region includes a first surface for clamping the sample piece, the second clamping region includes a second surface that faces the first surface and is for clamping the sample piece, the first abutment region protrudes from the first clamping region in a direction directed from the first surface to the second surface, the second abutment region protrudes from the second clamping region in a direction directed from the second surface to the first surface, the first abutment region includes a third surface closer to the second clamping member than the first surface, and a fifth surface that connects the third surface and the first surface, the second abutment region includes a fourth surface that faces the third surface and is closer to the first clamping member than the second surface, and a sixth surface that connects the fourth surface and the second surface, the first clamping region, the first abutment region, the second clamping region, and the second abutment region extend in a first direction, and the fifth surface and the sixth surface are inclined with respect to a surface perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 8 A method for conveying a sample piece performed using a conveyance device including a stage for placing a sample, and tweezers including a first clamping member and a second clamping member, the method for conveying a sample piece comprising: (a) a step of placing the sample from which the sample piece is produced on a part of the stage; (b) a step of clamping the sample piece between the first clamping member and the second clamping member after the step (a); (c) a step of taking out the sample piece from the sample in a state where the sample piece is clamped by the tweezers after the step (b); and (d) a step of mounting the sample piece on a carrier for mounting the sample piece to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device in a state where the sample piece is clamped by the tweezers after the step (c), wherein during a period from a starting time of the step (c) to an ending time of the step (d), a state of the sample piece clamped between the first clamping member and the second clamping member changes from a first state to a second state because of sliding between the sample piece and the and second clamping members. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method for conveying a sample piece according to claim 8, wherein the sample piece includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion on a side opposite to the lower end portion, the lower end portion is positioned closer to a placement surface of the carrier than the upper end portion when the sample piece is mounted on the carrier, and the upper end portion in the second state is closer to being parallel to the placement surface than the upper end portion in the first state. ### Claim 10 A method for conveying a sample piece performed using a conveyance device including a stage for placing a sample, and tweezers including a first clamping member and a second clamping member, the method for conveying a sample piece comprising: (a) a step of placing the sample from which the sample piece is produced on a part of the stage; (b) a step of clamping the sample piece between the first clamping member and the second clamping member after the step (a); (c) a step of taking out the sample piece from the sample in a state where the sample piece is clamped by the tweezers after the step (b); and (d) a step of mounting the sample piece on a carrier for mounting the sample piece to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device in a state where the sample piece is clamped by the tweezers after the step (c), wherein during a period from a starting time of the step (c) to an ending time of the step (d), a state of the sample piece clamped between the first clamping member and the second clamping member changes from a first state to a second state, the first clamping member includes a first clamping region and a first abutment region integrated with the first clamping region, the second clamping member includes a second clamping region and a second abutment region integrated with the second clamping region, the first clamping region includes a first surface for clamping the sample piece, the second clamping region includes a second surface that faces the first surface and is for clamping the sample piece, the first abutment region protrudes from the first clamping region in a direction directed from the first surface to the second surface, the second abutment region protrudes from the second clamping region in a direction directed from the second surface to the first surface, the sample piece includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion on a side opposite to the lower end portion, the lower end portion is positioned closer to a placement surface of the carrier than the upper end portion when the sample piece is mounted on the carrier, the upper end portion in the first state is separated from the first abutment region and the second abutment region, or is in contact with a part of each of the first abutment region and the second abutment region, and the upper end portion in the second state is in contact with the first abutment region and the second abutment region such that a contact area is larger than that in the first state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method for conveying a sample piece according to claim 10, wherein a change from the first state to the second state is performed while the sample piece slides between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method for conveying a sample piece according to claim 11, wherein the change from the first state to the second state is performed by moving the tweezers in a direction directed from the upper end portion to the lower end portion in the step (c). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for conveying a sample piece according to claim 12, wherein the sample piece is taken out by further moving the tweezers in a direction directed from the upper end portion to the lower end portion to separate the sample piece from the sample in the second state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method for conveying a sample piece according to claim 11, wherein the change from the first state to the second state is performed by moving the tweezers in a direction directed from the upper end portion to the lower end portion in the step (d).