Double tilt transmission electron microscope sample holder for in-situ measurement of microstructures

A double tilt sample holder for in-situ measuring mechanical and electrical properties in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), comprising:

• a handle having an electrode interface connecting to external equipment of the TEM;
• a sample holder body having conductor wires connecting to the electrode interface;
• a sample holder head located at a front end of the sample holder, comprising:
• a pair of supporting shafts located on sides of the sample holder head,
• a first electrode array having two rows of electrodes symmetrically disposed along sides of the sample holder head with the supporting shafts as the centerline and connecting to the conductor wires,
• a Y-axis tilting actuator, and
• a sensor carrier fixed on the front end of the sample holder head by the supporting shafts, the sensor carrier comprising:
• a through groove having a peripheral supporting edge at a bottom of the through groove with the supporting shafts as the centerline, and
• a first through hole located at a position away from the supporting shafts and closer to the Y-axis tilting actuator;
• a sensor, comprising:
• a second electrode array having two rows of electrodes disposed along sides of the sensor,
• a stress loading part disposed between and in parallel to rows of the second electrode array,
• a stress testing part disposed between and in parallel to rows of the second electrode array, and
• two testing electrodes configured to hold a sample,
• wherein a first testing electrode is disposed on the stress loading part and a second testing electrode is disposed on the stress testing part,
• wherein a small gap formed between the stress loading part and stress testing part is configured to pass an electron beam of the TEM through,
• wherein the stress loading part, the stress testing part, and the first and second testing electrodes are electrically connected to corresponding electrode of the second electrode array,
• wherein a material of the stress loading part can undergo deformation under external thermal or electric field and is a bimetal strip, a piezoelectric ceramic, or a memory alloy, and
• wherein the stress testing part applies the cantilever technology structure;
• and
• a pressing piece comprising:
• a second through hole, configured to allow the TEM electron beam passing through the pressing piece and focusing on the sample, and
• a third electrode array having two rows of electrodes on both an upper surface and a lower surface of the pressing piece, the third electrode array is configured such that each electrode on the upper surface of the pressing piece is correspondingly aligned with a respective one of the first electrode array, each electrode on the lower surface of the pressing piece is correspondingly aligned with a respective one of the second electrode array, and each electrode of the third electrode array on the upper surface of the pressing piece is electrically connected to a respective one on the lower surface of the pressing piece;
• wherein the dimension of the through groove is configured such that after the sensor is received in the through groove, a upper surface plane of the sensor and a focusing point of the TEM electron beam are in the same plane;
• and
• wherein the sensor carrier is driven by the Y-axis tilting actuator to tilt around Y-axis.