JPH0234147B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a rotating and tilting sample holder that rotatably and tiltably holds a sample in a sample chamber of an electron microscope or the like.

[Conventional technology]

Electron microscopes use a side entry type sample holder that inserts the sample into the sample chamber from the side. FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing conventional sample holders. In FIG. 7, a sample cup 1 serving as a sample mounting body is rotatably supported by a holder 2 and rotated by a wire 3. In FIG. In FIG. 8, a sample cup 1 is tiltably supported by a holder 2 by a shaft 4, and can be tilted by a wire 3 using the shaft 4 as a fulcrum.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, conventional sample holders only have the functions of rotating or tilting, and there is no sample holder that has both functions. and Figures 7 and 8.
In order to make the sample holder shown in the figure perform other mechanisms, it is necessary to add another mechanism, which poses a problem in that the apparatus becomes complicated and large.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotating and tilting sample holder that can be rotated and tilted using a simple mechanism and operation, and that can perform these operations simultaneously. The purpose is

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a sample mounting body having a spherical surface portion, a holder for inserting the sample mounting body into a sample chamber, and a bearing portion provided on the holder to rotatably and tiltably support the spherical surface portion of the sample mounting body. and a drive mechanism that applies force in rotational and tilting directions to the sample mounting body.

[Effect]

In the rotating and tilting sample holder of the present invention, a sample is mounted on a sample mounting body attached to the holder, the holder is inserted into a sample chamber, the sample is positioned on the optical axis, and microscopy is performed. At this time, when the drive mechanism applies a force in the direction of rotation or tilt to the sample mount, the spherical part supported by the bearing of the sample mount rotates in an arbitrary direction, so the sample holder responds to the applied force. It is also possible to perform a rotational or tilting motion, and to perform a rotational and tilting motion simultaneously.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a part of an embodiment of the present invention in cross section, Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing the operating state, and Fig. 4 is the operating state. FIG. 2 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the state, and the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 7 and 8 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

A sample cup 1 serving as a sample mounting body has a spherical portion 11 on its outer periphery, and a sample mounting space 12 and a beam transmission space 13 inside. The holder 2 is composed of an elongated frame-like body so that the sample cup 1 can be inserted through the side wall of the sample chamber on the optical axis.

The sample cup 1 containing the sample fits into a conical bearing 14 provided at the tip of the holder 2, and the spherical part 11 is supported by the bearing 14, allowing it to move freely without being restricted in the direction of movement and rotate. and tilting is possible. A bearing member 15 constitutes a part of the bearing 14, and is fixed to the holder 2 with a screw 16.

The sample cup 1 includes a sample cup drive transmission shaft 17.
A bearing 1 that accommodates a spherical portion 18 provided at the tip of the bearing 1
9, so that the transmission shaft 17 pushed by the spring 20 pushes the sample cup 1 no matter which direction the spherical part 18 moves. The sample cup drive transmission shaft 17 is inserted into the shaft 21 so that it can move back and forth.

The shaft 21 has spherical portions 22 and 23 and is supported by bearings 24 and 25. The bearing 24 transmits rotational motion and serves as a bearing when tilting. Movement is regulated by a drive rod 29. The bearing 25 is provided so as to be able to freely rotate around the tilting drive shaft 30, is pushed by a spring 32 via a spherical part 31, and its movement is restricted by a tilting drive rod 33.

In the above configuration, a sample is mounted in the sample mounting space 12 of the sample cup 1, the holder 2 is inserted into the sample chamber, the sample is positioned on the optical axis, and microscopy is performed. FIG. 3 shows a state of rotational movement, in which the center of rotation is the spherical portion 23, and the rotational movement is transmitted to the shaft 21 by the bearing 24. First, when the rotary drive rod 29 moves in the direction of arrow A, the bearing 24 is pushed by the rotary drive rod 29 and moves around the rotary drive shaft 26 against the spring 28 . Since the spherical part 22 is housed in the bearing 24 without play, the bearing 24
4 moves, the shaft 21 can be moved in the direction of arrow B. Therefore, the shaft 21 rotates about the bearing 25 as shown by the chain line C. Since the sample cup drive transmission shaft 17 is inserted into the tip of the shaft 21 so that it can expand and contract according to the movement of the sample cup 1, the sample cup 1 can be rotated in the direction of arrow D according to the movement of the shaft 21 without play. be able to.

FIG. 4 shows the state of the tilting motion, in which the center of the tilting motion is the spherical portion 22, and the tilting motion is performed by the bearing 25. First, when the tilt drive rod 33 moves in the direction of arrow E, the bearing 25 is pushed by the spring 32 and rotates around the tilt drive shaft 30. Bearing 25
Since the spherical part 23 is housed without play, when the bearing 25 moves, the shaft 21 moves in the direction of the arrow F as shown by the chain line G. At this time, the bearing 24 does not move and becomes the center of movement. In this way, the shaft 21 transmits the movement of the bearing 25 around the bearing 22 to the sample cup 1 via the transmission shaft 17, tilting it in the direction of arrow H.

These rotation and tilt operations are independent and do not interfere with each other, so both operations can be performed at the same time.

5 and 6 show other embodiments, and FIG.
In the figure, the two shafts 21a and 21b are the bearings 2.
4 and 25, and rotational or tilting motion about the shafts 26 and 30 as fulcrums is transmitted to the sample cup drive transmission shaft 17 by the clamping portions 34 and 35. In FIG. 6, the sample cup 1 is in contact with the bearings 24, 25 through the sphere 36, and the rotation or tilting motion about the shafts 26, 30 applied by the wires 3a, 3b is applied to the bearings 24, 25.
The sample cup 1 is transmitted from the spherical body 36 to the sample cup 1.

In the above description, the sample mounting body is not limited to the sample cup 1, but may be of any other shape, such as a plate shape, as long as it can move freely due to the spherical portion 11. Further, the bearing 14 is not limited to a conical shape, but may be spherical or other shapes.
The drive mechanism is not limited to the one shown in the drawings, and can be modified, and the tilting operation is not limited to tilting in the axial direction of the shaft 21, but may also be tilting around the axis of the shaft 21.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to this invention, since the sample mounting body is formed with a spherical part and is supported so as to be rotatable and tiltable, rotation and tilting can be performed by a simple mechanism and operation, and these operations can be performed simultaneously. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a part of the embodiment in cross section, Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, Figs. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of operation, and Figs. Some perspective views, FIGS. 7 and 8, are perspective views of conventional sample holders. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts, 1 is the sample cup, 2 is the holder, 11 is the spherical part, 14, 24, 25 are the bearings, 17 is the sample cup drive transmission shaft, 18, 22, 23, 31 is a spherical part,
21 is a shaft, 26 and 30 are axes, 29 is a rotary drive rod, and 33 is a tilt drive rod.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample mounting body having a spherical part, a holder for inserting the sample mounting body into a sample chamber, and a holder provided to rotatably and tiltably support the spherical part of the sample mounting body. A rotating and tilting sample holder comprising: a bearing section having a rotational angle; and a drive mechanism that applies force in rotational and tilting directions to the sample mounting body. 2. The rotary tilting sample holder according to claim 1, wherein the sample mounting body is a sample cup. 3. The rotary tilting sample holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bearing portion is conical or spherical. 4. Claims 1 to 3, in which the drive mechanism supports the spherical part of the shaft connected via the spherical part with a bearing that is movable in different directions.
The rotary tilting sample holder according to any one of paragraphs.