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US 12,633,493 B2Granted
Electron gun chamber for scanning electron microscope, electron gun containing same, and scanning electron microscope
AssigneesNational Institute for Materials Science, Terabase Inc.
InventorsHan Zhang, Yasushi Yamauchi, Yoshihiro Arai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an electron gun chamber for a scanning electron microscope with (a) an electron source chamber; (b) an intermediate room; (c) an air lock valve installation part; (d) exhaust holes for a preliminary vacuum exhaust pump; and (e) an opening and closing means.
Claims13
An electron gun chamber for a scanning electron microscope, the chamber comprising:
- (a) an electron source chamber including a site to which a field-emission electron source is detachably attached;
- (b) an intermediate chamber, which is provided adjacent to the electron source chamber and through which an electron beam passes in a direction of an electron beam emitted from the electron source installed at the site;
- (c) an airlock valve installation portion provided in the intermediate chamber;
- (d) an exhaust opening for a pump for preliminary vacuum exhaust, which is provided on each of continuous faces of the electron source chamber and the intermediate chamber;
- and
- (e) an opening and closing means, which is included in the electron source chamber and the intermediate chamber and directly opens and closes the exhaust opening for a pump for preliminary vacuum exhaust,
- wherein the electron gun chamber has a substantially cubic shape, and
- the electron source chamber and the intermediate chamber are fabricated only by hole drilling of the same stainless steel block, which does not require welding.
5 more elements
An electron gun chamber for a scanning electron microscope having a substantially cubic shape, the electron gun chamber comprising:
- (a) an electron source chamber including a site to which a field-emission electron source is detachably attached;
- (b) a first intermediate chamber provided adjacent to the electron source chamber and a second intermediate chamber adjacent to a lower region of the first intermediate chamber, through which an electron beam passes below the electron source in a direction of an electron beam emitted from the electron source installed at the site;
- and
- (c′) an airlock valve installed in the second intermediate chamber, wherein
- the airlock valve is equipped with:
- (i) an O-ring installation face having an inclination axis of 60° or more and 80° or less with respect to an adjacent face of the first intermediate chamber and the second intermediate chamber, and
- (ii) a substantially cylindrical convex portion extending upward in a direction perpendicular to the inclination axis on the O-ring installation face, wherein the convex portion comprises a means for passing and blocking the electron beam,
- wherein:
- the means for passing an electron beam has a configuration in which an electron beam passes through a through hole of the convex portion provided in a direction of the electron beam passing through the second intermediate chamber, and
- the means for blocking an electron beam has a configuration in which the convex portion is slid in a direction perpendicular to the inclination axis to shift the through hole and block passage of an electron beam.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.