JP2004245737A - Cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cutting device for accurately and simply positioning a planned cutting line of a specimen and the direction of the blade edge of a cutter. <P>SOLUTION: A magnified image of the specimen is observed by a microscope 40, and a stage device 20 is two-dimensionally position-adjusted in X and Y directions so that the planned cutting line of the specimen lies on a cutting line mark in a visual field while its rotary position is also adjusted by a rotary stage 24. In place of an objective lens 42a or 42b, the cutter 52 of a cutter device 50 is disposed on an optical axis AX of the microscope 40. The specimen is cut off by applying a cutting load to the cutter 52. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cutting device that cuts an intended cutting line of a sample to be cut by a cutter.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, when cutting a member to be cut with a cutter, while observing the cut portion with a microscope in an enlarged manner, positioning the member to be cut so that the line for cutting the sample by the cutter matches the line for cutting on the member to be cut, Thereafter, the member to be cut is cut by swinging the cutter (Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-228900
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Such a conventional cutting device has the following problems.
(1) This method is to position a member to be cut while observing it with a microscope, but to move the sample itself and position it so that the line for cutting the sample by the cutter coincides with the line for cutting on the member to be cut. , Difficult to position.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a cutting apparatus capable of accurately and easily performing an operation of matching a line to be cut of a sample by a cutter with a line to be cut on a member to be cut.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
(1) A cutting device according to claim 1, a microscope for forming an enlarged image of a sample and an image of a cutting line mark so as to overlap each other, a cutter which is exchanged and arranged at a position where an objective lens of the microscope is arranged, Hold and adjust the positional relationship between the sample cut line enlarged by the microscope and the sample cut line by the cutter, and position the sample cut line enlarged by the microscope so as to overlap the cutting line mark. It is characterized by comprising a stage device for adjusting and a load applying means for applying a cutting load to the cutter to cut the sample.
(2) The stage device moves the sample in the XY direction in an XY plane in an XY plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens, and moves the sample in the XY direction by the XY stage and rotates the sample around the optical axis of the objective lens. A rotation stage for rotating the XY stage around an optical axis of the objective lens.
(3) When the cutter is a flat blade that cuts along the cut line of the sample, the load applying unit presses the cutter from a direction perpendicular to the sample to cut the sample. In this case, it is preferable to provide a tilt stage for adjusting the tilt angle of the sample between the XY stage and the sample rotation stage.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a stage device.
[0008]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cutting apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is installed on an apparatus main body 15, a stage device 20 provided on the apparatus main body 15 so as to be able to move up and down, and an upper surface of the stage device 20. A microscope 40 for observing a sample (member to be cut), a cutter device 50 for cutting a sample installed on the upper surface of the stage device 20, and a load load for applying a cutting load to a cutter 52 (FIG. 4) of the cutter device 50. Device 60. The stage device 20 moves up and down with the lifting handle 16.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 3, the stage device 20 is configured by stacking an XY stage rotation stage 21, an XY stage 22, a tilt stage 23, and a sample rotation stage 24, and a sample vise 25 is provided on the upper surface of the sample rotation stage 24. Is installed. The sample vise 25 holds a sample holder 26 to which a sample is adhered. The rotation stage 21 for the XY stage is rotated around the optical axis AX of the microscope by the micrometer head 21a, and rotates the XY stage 22 stacked on the rotation stage 21 for the XY stage around the optical axis AX. Thereby, as described later, the extending direction of the cutting line mark in the field of view, the extending direction of the cutter 52 (see FIG. 4), and the X-axis moving direction of the XY stage 22 can be matched. The XY stage 22 is moved back and forth and right and left in FIG. 1 by the micrometer heads 22a and 22b to adjust the XY position of the sample. Note that a plane orthogonal to the optical axis AX is an XY plane.
[0010]
The tilt stage 23 is tilted 360 degrees around the optical axis AX by the micrometer heads 23a and 23b. The parallelism between the sample and the cutter 52 (see FIG. 4) is adjusted by the tilt stage 23. The sample rotation stage 24 is rotated around the optical axis AX of the microscope by the micrometer head 24a, and adjusts the rotational position of the sample around the optical axis AX.
[0011]
The microscope 40 has objective lenses 42 a and 42 b having different magnifications from the eyepiece 41, and is provided on the head of the apparatus main body 15. The objective lenses 42a and 42b are mounted on the revolver 43, and any one of the objective lenses is selected and interposed on the optical axis AX of the observation optical system. The eyepiece 41 is provided with a horizontal line serving as a cutting line mark. The eyepiece 41 can be rotated around the optical axis to freely adjust the direction of the horizontal line. After the adjustment operation for aligning the cutting line of the sample with the horizontal line as described later, the eyepiece 41 is clamped so as not to rotate. You.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 4, the cutter device 50 includes an adapter 51 mounted on the revolver 43 and a cutter 52 fixed to the adapter 51 with screws 53. The cutter device 50 has the adapter 51 inserted into the revolver 43, and is fixed from the side with set screws. At this time, the extending direction of the cutting edge of the cutter 52 is set to be substantially the X-axis direction.
[0013]
The cutter device 50 can be moved up and down along the optical axis AX by a load applying device 60 provided in the device main body 15. The load applying device 60 controls, for example, a plurality of weights, a selection mechanism for selecting a weight according to a set test force (cutting load), and whether or not the weight of the weight acts on the cutter 52. Equipped with an eccentric cam and the like.
[0014]
The procedure for cutting the sample, which is the member to be cut, by the cutting device configured as described above will be described in detail.
First, by the following cutting preparation work, the direction of the cutting edge of the cutter 52 is made to coincide with the X movement direction of the XY stage 22, and the cutting line mark of the microscope 40 is made to coincide with the cutting line of the cutter 52.
(1) The sample holder 26 is fixed on the sample vise 25.
(2) The sample is cut by rotating the revolver 43 so that the cutter device 50 is at a position facing the sample.
(3) The revolver 43 is rotated so that the objective lens 42 is at a position facing the sample, and the sample is magnified and observed.
(4) The optical axis AX of the objective lens 42 is adjusted in the XY plane so that the cutting line is located at the center in the visual field, and fixed with two lens position adjusting screws.
(5) The XY stage 22 is moved in the X-axis direction, and it is checked whether the cutting line of the sample deviates from the center in the visual field. In the case where the XY stage 22 is displaced, the rotation position of the XY stage 22 is adjusted by rotating the XY stage rotation stage 21 so that the cutting line does not deviate even if the sample is moved in the X direction.
[0015]
(6) The above (1) to (5) are repeated until it is confirmed that the cutting line does not deviate from the center in the visual field even when the sample is moved in the X direction.
(7) Rotate the eyepiece 41 so that the cutting line of the sample and the horizontal line in the visual field are parallel.
[0016]
After the completion of the above preparation, the member to be cut is cut along the cutting line as follows.
(1) The sample is adhered to the sample holder 26, and the holder 26 is sandwiched by the sample vise 25.
(2) The revolver 43 is rotated so that the cutter device 50 is positioned on the optical axis AX. At this time, the direction in which the cutting edge of the cutter 52 extends extends in the X direction.
(3) The sample holder 26 is raised by the lifting handle 16 to bring the sample and the cutter 52 close to each other, and the parallelism between the two is confirmed.
(4) When the parallelism is deviated, the tilt stage 23 is tilted by the tilt stage micrometer 23a, and the cutting edge of the cutter 52 is adjusted to be parallel to the cut surface of the sample.
(5) The revolver 43 is rotated so that the objective lens 41 is located on the optical axis AX, and thereafter, the focus of the microscope 40 is adjusted to the cut portion of the sample.
(6) The position of the sample holder 26 is adjusted by operating the XY stage 22 and the sample rotating stage 24 so that the planned cutting line of the sample (the planned cutting position) matches the cutting line mark in the visual field.
[0017]
(7) The XY stage 22 is moved in the X direction, and it is checked whether the planned cutting line of the sample does not deviate from the cutting line mark in the visual field. If the sample is displaced, the sample rotation stage 24 is rotated and the XY stage 22 is moved in the Y direction so that the expected cutting line always coincides with the cutting line mark even when the sample is moved in the X direction. Adjust the position.
(8) The cutting force (test force) is set by the input device of the cutting device. As a result, a predetermined number of weights of the load applying device 60 are selected, and cutting with the set test force becomes possible.
(9) The revolver 43 is rotated so that the cutter device 50 is positioned on the optical axis AX.
(10) When a cutting start switch (not shown) is operated, the eccentric cam of the load applying device 60 rotates and the weight is given to the cutter device 50. As a result, the cutter 52 is pressed against the sample, and the cutter 52 cuts the sample along the predetermined cutting line.
[0018]
By cutting the sample with the cutting device as described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) By operating the stage device 20 while observing with a microscope, the planned cutting line of the sample is made to coincide with the cutting line mark (horizontal line) displayed in the visual field, so that the positioning accuracy is improved and Also, workability is improved.
(2) Since the sample is cut by the cutter 52 with a predetermined cutting load utilizing the weight of the weight, the cut surface is not roughened. Also, the sample can be cut under the same conditions.
(3) By operating the tilt stage 23, the sample is cut after the cut surface of the sample is made parallel to the cutting edge of the cutter 52, so that the sample can be cut reliably. If the cutting surface of the sample and the cutting edge of the cutter 52 are not parallel, the cutting depth of the cutter 52 may vary depending on the longitudinal position of the cutter blade, and cutting may not be performed reliably.
(4) The XY stage rotary stage 21 is provided so that the direction of the cutting edge of the cutter 52 matches the X movement direction of the XY stage 22, and the cutting line mark of the microscope matches the cutting line of the cutter 52. As a result, even when the cutting line mark is displaced from the extending direction of the cutter 52, or when the X-axis moving direction of the XY stage 22 is displaced from the extending direction of the cutter 52, the pre-adjustment can be performed before cutting. Therefore, the desired positioning accuracy is maintained.
[0019]
As an object to be cut by the above cutting device, for example, an ink jet nozzle is used. In the inkjet nozzle, it is essential that a large number of nozzles are arranged on a substrate, and that a large number of nozzles are formed with a uniform pitch and a uniform diameter. Therefore, by using the above-described cutting device to cut the nozzle along a line connecting the centers of the plurality of nozzles and observing the cut cross section, the quality of the nozzle can be reliably inspected. If the cutting line deviates from the nozzle arrangement direction, the deviation causes a difference in the nozzle diameter and pitch of the cut surface, making it impossible to accurately evaluate the nozzle. In this regard, if the above-described cutting device 10 is used, cutting can be performed with a cutter along a line connecting the centers of a plurality of nozzles, and a highly accurate inspection can be easily performed.
[0020]
The above embodiment is merely an example, and the cutting device according to the present invention is not limited to the above configuration as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The following modified example is shown as an example.
(1) The sample is cut by pressing the cutter 52, which is a flat blade, perpendicularly to the sample. However, as in Patent Document 1, a method in which a lever with a diamond tip installed at the tip is manually swung is cut. But it's fine.
(2) The tilt stage 23 is not essential.
[0021]
(3) The load applying device 60 may be of a type other than the weight type, for example, an electromagnetic type.
(4) The stage device may be electrically operated without manual operation.
(5) An electronic camera may be attached in place of the eyepiece 41 of the microscope, and an enlarged image may be observed on a monitor. In this case, the captured image can be processed to completely automate the cutting process.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the member to be cut is positioned by moving the stage device while observing the enlarged image with the microscope, so that the positioning accuracy of the cutting position and the workability of the positioning are improved. I do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the cutting device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a stage device 20 of FIGS. [Explanation of reference numerals]
10: Cutting device 20: Stage device 21: Rotating stage for XY stage 22: XY stage 23: Tilt stage 24: Rotating stage for sample 40: Microscope 41: Eyepiece 42: Objective lens 43: Revolver 50: Cutter device 51: Adapter 52: cutter 60: load applying device

Claims (4)

A microscope that forms an enlarged image of the sample and an image of the cutting line mark on each other,
A cutter which is arranged in a position where the objective lens of the microscope is arranged,
Holding the sample, adjusting the positional relationship between the sample cut line enlarged by the microscope and the sample cut line by the cutter, and changing the sample cut line enlarged by the microscope to the cut line. A stage device for adjusting the position so as to overlap the mark,
And a load applying means for applying a cutting load to the cutter to cut the sample. The cutting device according to claim 1,
The stage device,
An XY stage for moving the sample in the XY directions within an XY plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens;
A sample rotation stage that moves in the XY directions by the XY stage and rotates the sample around the optical axis of the objective lens;
A rotating stage for rotating the XY stage around the optical axis of the objective lens. The cutting device according to claim 1 or 2,
The cutter is a flat blade that cuts along the cutting line of the sample,
The cutting device, wherein the load applying unit presses the cutter from a direction perpendicular to the sample to cut the sample. The cutting device according to claim 3,
The stage device,
The cutting apparatus further includes a tilt stage provided between the XY stage and the sample rotation stage to adjust a tilt angle of the sample.

Images