JPH05273399A - X-ray excitation charge microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the title microscope which can detect physical properties of a specimen in the air. CONSTITUTION:The change of a current or capacitance by a charge excited in a minute part of a specimen or a base, on which the specimen is installed, by X-rays is measured, by emitting X-rays on the specimen or the base in the air, and the change of physical properties of the surface or the inner part of the specimen is obtained as an image. The title microscope comprises a specimen supporting device 1, a specimen moving mechanism 8, an X-ray generator 6 for emitting X-rays on the specimen in the air, a device 10 for measuring the current or the capacitance excited in the minute part of the specimen by X-rays, and an image processor 11 for storing a measured result and for image processing the change of physical properties of the surface or the inner part of the specimen. The change of physical properties of a minute region about specimen including gas and water, also, can be a image processed, because the image by the charge is obtained, and the measuremen can in the air.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope using X-rays, and more particularly to a microscope capable of irradiating X-rays to image changes in physical properties occurring in a minute portion of a specimen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional microscope using X-rays, when a specimen is irradiated with X-rays, causes scattering, diffraction, absorption, fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample, or emission from the sample. It is based on the method of detecting the electrons that are generated and imaging the information on the structure, and uses an X-ray or electron detector. On the other hand, there is a method (EBIC) of irradiating a sample with an electron beam instead of an X-ray to measure the current generated in the sample, but it can be used only in a vacuum and the p
Used only to probe -n junctions.

In any of the above methods, since the sample is placed in a vacuum, the gas and water contained in the sample change,
It has the drawback that changes in the physical properties of the sample in air cannot be detected.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an apparatus capable of detecting the physical properties of a sample in the air.

[0005]

The present inventor has no conventional method for irradiating a specimen with X-rays in the air and measuring the change in the physical properties in the specimen without using an X-ray detector to image the specimen. In view of this, the inventors have conducted intensive studies on measures that can enable such a method.

As a result, by measuring the change in the electric current or the electric capacity flowing in the sample when X-ray is irradiated,
It was discovered that changes in physical properties in a sample can be directly measured and imaged in air without requiring a line detector. Further, according to this method, X-rays can penetrate into the inside of the sample as compared with the electron beam, so that information inside the sample that cannot be obtained by the electron beam can be obtained. Changes in physical properties can be detected as changes in the base. It can also be applied to a specimen that changes in a vacuum environment necessary for electron beam irradiation, such as a biological specimen. Based on the above findings, the X-ray excitation current microscope has been completed.

That is, in the X-ray excitation charge microscope according to the present invention, the specimen or the substrate on which the specimen is mounted is irradiated with X-rays in the air to be excited by the X-ray to a minute portion of the specimen or the substrate. The present invention is characterized in that a change in current or electric capacity due to electric charge is measured and a change in physical properties of the surface or inside of the specimen is obtained as an image.

The present invention will be described in more detail below.

As described above, the X-ray excited charge microscope of the present invention is
By irradiating the specimen with X-rays, the electric current or electric capacity excited by X-rays in a microscopic region at an arbitrary position of the specimen is measured, and the change in the electric current or electric capacity depending on the place in the specimen is recorded and the image This method is used to obtain an image of the specimen based on the difference in the physical properties of the minute portion in the air.

As the X-ray source, in addition to an ordinary sealed tube type X-ray source, an X-ray source such as a microfocus or a rotor target, or synchrotron radiation light (SOR light) is also used. A simple pinhole may be used to irradiate a small area on the specimen with X-rays, but more efficiently
It is preferable to collect X-rays by using a line conduit, a Wolter type mirror, a Fresnel ring, or the like.

The sample is fixed on a stage (sample support device) and moved by a sample moving device such as a stepping motor. In the case of finer movement, a piezoelectric element is used to electrically move it to about angstrom.

A device for measuring current or electric capacity is connected to the sample. An electrode is attached to the sample, the electric current or the electric capacity flowing through the sample is measured, and the measured value is stored in the storage unit of the imaging device. The measurement points are sequentially moved, and after the measurement of the required region of the sample is completed, the stored measurement values are used to construct an image.

With the above structure, an image of the specimen can be obtained in the air by utilizing the phenomenon of generating charges in the phenomenon of being excited by X-rays.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be shown.

[0014]

[Example] An example of attaching an electrode to a specimen (sample)
As shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 shows thin electrodes 2 on the front and back surfaces of a specimen 1,
2 shows the case where the electrodes 2 and 3 are attached to the side surface of the specimen 1 when the sample 3 is attached. FIG. 3 shows a case in which the sample 1 is mounted on the substrate 5, and the electrode 2 is attached to the front surface and the electrode 3 is attached to the back surface. With these configurations, the current of the sample or the substrate is measured.

In FIG. 4, an insulating film 4 is attached to the surface of the sample 1,
In the case where the electrode 2 and the electrode 3 on the back surface are attached thereon, in FIG. 5, the sample 1 is mounted on the substrate 5, the insulating film 4 is attached on the surface, and the electrode 2 and the electrode 3 are attached on the back surface. In this case, FIG. 6 shows a case where the sample 1 is mounted on the substrate 5, the back surface is provided with the insulating film 4, the front surface is provided with the electrodes 2, and the back surface is provided with the electrodes 3. With these configurations, the capacitance of the sample or the substrate is measured.

FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of the apparatus of the X-ray excitation current microscope. The X-ray generator 6, the X-ray conduit 7 consisting of a hollow glass tube, the sample moving mechanism 8, its driving device 9, the electric current or the electricity. It comprises a capacitance measuring device 10 and an imaging device 11.

With this device, the current or the electric capacity of the sample was measured and imaged. That is, micro focus X
The X-ray generated from the line generator 6 has a length of 200 mm,
Through an X-ray conduit 7 consisting of a hollow glass tube with a diameter of 4 mm,
A minute area (0.01 mm diameter) on the specimen 1 was irradiated with X-rays.
The sample 1 is fixed to a sample moving mechanism 8 which is moved by a driving device 9, and a small amount (0. 0) in a plane perpendicular to the X-ray direction.
(01 mm interval). X at each point on the sample
The change in the electric capacity due to the line excitation current or the electric charge excited by the X-ray is measured by the electric current or electric capacity measuring device 10, and the value is sent to the imaging device 11. Similarly, the sample
Repeatedly move, measure, and store at 01 mm intervals, scan the required area on the sample, and then use all measured values for sample 1
An X-ray excited current distribution image or an X-ray excited capacitance distribution image of was obtained.

[0019]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
Since X-rays are irradiated and measured in the air, a sample image of a current value or electric capacity distribution due to electric charges, which cannot be obtained by the conventional technique using X-rays, can be obtained. A sample that changes in a vacuum due to a gas or water contained in the sample can also be measured and imaged in air at room temperature and pressure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used in an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 2 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used in an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 3 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used in an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 4 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used for an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 5 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used in an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 6 shows an example of electrodes attached to a specimen used in an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an array of devices of an X-ray excitation charge microscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sample to be measured 2 Electrode attached to front surface or side surface 3 Electrode attached to back surface or side surface 4 Insulating film 5 Substrate 6 X-ray generator 7 X-ray conduit consisting of hollow glass tube 8 Sample moving mechanism 9 Sample moving mechanism Driving device 10 Current or capacitance measuring device 11 Imaging device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An X-ray is irradiated to a sample or a substrate on which the sample is mounted in the air to measure a change in current due to an electric charge excited in a minute portion of the sample or the substrate by the X-ray, An X-ray excitation charge microscope characterized by being configured to obtain changes in physical properties on the surface or inside as an image. 2. The surface of the sample is measured by irradiating the sample or the substrate on which the sample is mounted in the air with X-rays to measure the change in the electric capacity due to the electric charge excited in a minute portion of the sample or the substrate. Alternatively, the X-ray excitation charge microscope is characterized in that the change in the internal physical properties is obtained as an image. 3. A sample support device, a sample moving mechanism for moving the sample, an X-ray generator for irradiating the sample with X-rays in the air, and a current or electricity excited by X-rays to a minute portion of the sample. An X-ray excitation charge microscope, comprising: a device for measuring the capacity; and an imaging device for storing the measurement result and imaging the change in the physical properties of the surface or the inside of the specimen. 4. The X-ray excitation charge microscope according to claim 3, wherein the sample support device is a device for supporting a sample directly or via a substrate.