JPH01237428A - Sample transfer apparatus in vacuum - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of leaking and to increase the movable distance of a sample, by moving a manipulating member in the axial direction, thereby making it possible to move a sample stage, rotating the manipulating member, and rotating a rotary shaft and a bevel gear. CONSTITUTION:When a manipulating member 19 is moved in the direction of an axis (y), a sample stage 18 can be moved in the direction of the axis (y). When the member 19 is rotated, a rotary shaft 13 and a bevel gear 14 are rotated, and a bevel gear 17 and a rotary shaft 16 are rotated. Therefore, the ample stage 18 is rotated with an axis (z) as a central axis of rotation. When the sample stage 18 is moved, it is moved to the upper part of the moving axis of a sample holding tool 21. After the sample stage 18 is rotated, the holding tool 21 is moved. A sample 22 on the sample stage 18 is held with the holding tool 21. The direction of the sample 22 is changed from a holding tool 20 to the holding tool 21, and the sample 22 can be moved. Since it is not necessary to use bellows, leaking does not occur. Since the movable distance of a rod 12 in the direction of the axis (y) is increased, the movable distance of the sample 22 in the direction of the axis (y) is increased.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for transferring a sample in a vacuum in which a sample in a vacuum is moved in an axial direction and the sample is rotated about an axis in a direction that intersects with the axial direction. It is related to the device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a conventional vacuum sample transfer device. In the figure, 1 is a vacuum vessel, 2 is a rod attached to the vacuum vessel 1 so as to be movable in the y-axis direction, 3 is a bellows whose one end is fixed to the vacuum vessel 1 and the other end is fixed to the rod 2, and 4 is a bellows. A rack is attached to the rod 2 so as to be movable in the y-axis direction, 6 is a wire for moving the rack 4 from outside the vacuum container 1, and 5 is attached to the rod 2 so as to be rotatable about the 2 axes as the center of rotation. In the pinion, pinion 5 is meshed with rack 4, and rack ”
4. A pinion 5 and the like constitute a conversion mechanism section that converts linear motion into rotational motion. 8 is a sample stand attached to the pinion 5, and 7 is a sample placed on the sample stand 8.

In this vacuum sample transfer device, if the rod 2 is moved in the y-axis direction, the sample 7 can be moved in the y-axis direction, and if the rack 4 is moved relative to the lot 2 with the wire 6, the pinion Since the sample 5 rotates about the Z-axis as the center axis of rotation, the sample 7 can be rotated about the Z-axis as the center axis of rotation. Therefore, the sample 7 can be transferred between sample holders (not shown) movably attached to the vacuum container 1 while changing the direction.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in such a vacuum sample transfer device, since the bellows 3 is used, leakage is likely to occur. Furthermore, since the rack 4 is attached to the rod 2 so as to be movable in the y-axis direction, it is necessary to provide a support base for movably supporting the rack 4 on the rod 2, which increases the weight of the conversion mechanism. Therefore, if the distance between the support part of the lot 2 supported by the vacuum container 1 and the conversion mechanism part is large, the lot 2
Since a large stress acts on the supporting part of the rod 2, the distance between the supporting part and the conversion mechanism cannot be increased, and the distance over which the rod 2 can be moved in the y-axis direction becomes small.
The distance over which the sample 7 can be moved in the y-axis direction becomes smaller.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum sample transfer device that does not cause leakage and can move a sample over a large distance.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides an operating member in a vacuum sample transfer device that moves a sample in vacuum in the axial direction and rotates the sample with an axis in a direction intersecting the axial direction as the central axis of rotation. By moving the rod in the axial direction, the rod can be moved in the axial direction, and by rotating the operating member about the axial axis, the rod is rotatably mounted in the rod. a magnetically coupled manipulator capable of rotating a first rotating shaft; a first bevel gear fixed to the first rotating shaft; a second rotating shaft whose central axis of rotation is an axis in the intersecting direction; a second bevel gear fixed to the second rotating shaft and meshing with the first bevel gear; A fixed sample stage is provided.

[Effect]

In this vacuum sample transfer device, by moving the operating member in the axial direction, the sample stage can be moved in the axial direction.
Further, when the operating member is rotated, the first rotating shaft and the first bevel gear are rotated, and the second bevel gear and the second rotating shaft are also rotated, so that the sample stage is rotated.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a vacuum sample transfer apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan sectional view. In the figure, 11 is a vacuum container, 12 is a rod of a magnetically coupled manipulator attached to the vacuum container 11, and rod 1
2 is provided movably in the y-axis direction. 13 is a first rotating shaft rotatably attached to the rod 12 with the y=4- axis as the center of rotation; 19 is an operating member of a magnetically coupled manipulator; if the operating member 19 is moved in the y-axis direction, , the rod 12 can be moved in the y-axis direction, and the rotating shaft 13 can be rotated by rotating the operating member 19 about the y-axis.

14 is a first bevel gear fixed to the rotating shaft 13, 15 is a support member fixed to the rod 12, and 16 is a support member 15.
17 is a second bevel gear fixed to the rotating shaft 16; the bevel gear 17 meshes with the bevel gear 14; 14, a rotating shaft 16, a bevel gear 17, and the like constitute a converting mechanism section that converts the rotation center axis of rotational motion. 18
20 is a sample stage fixed to the rotating shaft 16, and 20 is a vacuum container 11.
21 is a sample holder provided in the vacuum container 11 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and 22 is a sample held in the sample holder 20.

In this vacuum sample transfer device, the operation member] 9 is
By moving in the axial direction, the sample stage 18 can be moved in the y-axis direction, and by rotating the operating member 19, the rotation axis 1 can be moved.
3. Since the bevel gear 14 rotates, the bevel gear 17 and the rotating shaft 16 rotate, so the sample stage 18 rotates about the two axes as rotation center axes. Therefore, by moving the sample stand 18, the sample 22 held in the sample holder 20 is received on the sample stand 18, the sample stand 18 is moved onto the movement axis of the sample holder 21, and the sample stand 18 is moved. After rotating, the sample holder 21 is moved and the sample 22 on the sample stage 18 is held by the sample holder 21, and the sample 22 is transferred from the sample holder 20 to the sample holder 21 by changing the direction. be able to.

In such a vacuum sample transfer device, since a magnetic coupling type manipulator is used, there is no need to use a bellows, and therefore no leakage occurs. Furthermore, since the bevel gear 14 and the bevel gear 17 are used and no member movably attached to the rod 12 is used, the weight of the conversion mechanism is small. For this reason, rod 12
Even if the distance between the support part supported by the vacuum vessel 11 and the conversion mechanism part is increased, a large stress will not be applied to the support part of the rod 12, so the distance between the support part and the conversion mechanism part is increased. Because it can be done, rod 1
2 in the y-axis direction increases, so the distance in which the sample 22 can be moved in the y-axis direction increases. For example, if the diameters of the bevel gears 14 and 17 are 1 cm, the distance that the sample 22 can be moved in the y-axis direction is the distance that the sample 7 can be moved in the y-axis direction of the conventional vacuum sample transfer device shown in FIG. In addition, the volume of the conversion mechanism section is approximately 174 times the volume of the conversion mechanism section of the conventional vacuum sample transfer apparatus shown in FIG.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case was described in which the sample 22 is moved in the y-axis direction and the sample 22 is rotated about two axes, that is, an axis perpendicular to the y-axis direction, as the center of rotation. The present invention can also be applied to cases in which the specimen is moved in a direction and rotated with an axis in a direction intersecting the above-mentioned axial direction as the rotation center axis.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, since the vacuum sample transfer device according to the present invention uses a magnetically coupled manipulator, there is no need to use a bellows, so there is no leakage, and the first and second Since a bevel gear is used and no member movably attached to the rod is used, the distance over which the rod can be moved in the axial direction is increased, and the distance over which the sample can be moved in the axial direction is increased. As described above, the effects of this invention are remarkable.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a vacuum sample transfer device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan sectional view of the same, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan sectional view showing a conventional vacuum sample transfer device. 11... Vacuum container 12... Rod 13...
・First rotating shaft 14...first bevel gear 16...
・Second rotating shaft 17...Second bevel gear 18...
Sample stand 19...Operating member N ×

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vacuum sample transfer device that moves a sample in vacuum in the axial direction and rotates the sample with an axis in a direction that intersects with the axial direction as the central axis of rotation, the rod is moved by moving the operating member in the axial direction. can be moved in the axial direction, and by rotating the operating member about the axis in the axial direction as a rotation center axis, a first rotating shaft rotatably attached within the rod can be rotated. a magnetically coupled manipulator, a first bevel gear fixed to the first rotating shaft, and a second bevel gear rotatably supported by the rod and having a rotation center axis that is perpendicular to the axial direction.
a rotating shaft fixed to the second rotating shaft and the first rotating shaft.
A vacuum sample transfer device comprising: a second bevel gear meshing with the bevel gear; and a sample stage fixed to the second rotating shaft.