JPH0636725A - Surface analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of introducing/conveying processes of a sample, facilitate the operation, and simplify a sample introducing device by driving a sample moving means in conjunction with the introducing/conveying processes of the sample introducing device. CONSTITUTION:A sample 1 is introduced into an introduction section housing 3 while being mounted on a bogie 2, and it is conveyed to a analysis chamber 5 by a conveying mechanism 30 installed in the housing 3. The mechanism 30 is constituted of a pinion 31 and a conveying rail 32. The bogie 2 is supported on the rail 32, and the bogie 2 is moved when a rack 33 installed on the bogie 2 is engaged with the gear of the pinion 31 and the gear of the pinion 31 is rotated. The lifting process of the bogie 2 is performed concurrently with the introducing process or conveying process by a lift mechanism and a linear motion introduction mechanism. The mechanisms can be simplified, and the device can be miniaturized to save space. Processes are simplified, and the operation can be facilitated and simplified.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to XPS, ESCA, A
The present invention relates to a surface analysis device such as ES.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, XPS (X-ray photo) is used.
electron spectroscopy or ESCA (electron spectroscopy)
Pyfor chemical analysis),
Or AES (Auger electron spec)
A surface analysis device such as a trocopy) has a device for introducing a sample into a spectroscopic device in a vacuum state.

Generally, the surface analyzer has an introduction port for introducing an analysis sample into the analysis chamber, and once the sample is introduced into the introduction part housing installed in the introduction port to make a vacuum state, it is transferred. It is transported to the analysis room by the device. 3 and 4 are block diagrams of a sample introduction device in a conventional surface analysis device. In FIGS. 3 and 4, 1 is a sample, 2 is a trolley, 3 is an inlet housing, 4 is an inlet port, 5 is an analysis chamber, 30 is a transport mechanism, 31 is a pinion, 3
2 is a transport rail, 33 is a rack, 41 is a linear motion introducing mechanism, 42 is a lift mechanism, and 43 is a lid.

The sample 1 is introduced into the introducing section housing 3 while being placed on the trolley 2, and is conveyed to the analyzing chamber 5 by the conveying mechanism 30 installed in the introducing section housing 3.
The transfer mechanism 30 includes a pinion 31 and a transfer rail 32. Then, the carriage 2 is moved to the transport rail 32.
Rack 3 installed on the trolley 2 while being supported by
By engaging 3 with the gear of pinion 31,
The dolly 2 is moved.

The introduction of the carriage 2 into the introduction portion housing 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, a lid 43 is attached to the introduction port 4 at the end of the introduction housing 3. The lid 43 is provided with a linear motion introducing mechanism 41 and the like, and a lift mechanism 42 provided near the tip of the linear motion inputting mechanism 41 can be operated. Then, the carriage 2 to which the sample 1 is attached is placed on the lift mechanism 42.

The introduction of the carriage 2 into the introduction portion housing 3 is carried out by first lifting the carriage 2 having the sample 1 attached thereto by the lift mechanism 42.
Then, the lid portion 43 is attached to the flange of the introduction portion housing 3 in that state, and the introduction port 4 is closed. Through this step, the sample 1 and the carriage 2 are introduced into the introduction portion housing 3. At this time, in order to align the carriage 2 and the transfer mechanism 30 and perform a smooth transfer operation, the rack 33 attached to the carriage 2 is mounted on the pinion 3 of the transfer mechanism 30.
The introduction is performed so as not to mesh with 1.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the introduction portion housing 3
The linear motion introducing mechanism 41 is operated from the outside to move the lift mechanism 42 to lower the rack 33 attached to the carriage 2 onto the pinion 31 and the transport rail 32 of the transport mechanism 30, and the gears of the rack 33 and the pinion 31 are engaged with each other. I do. After that, the carriage 2 is moved along the transport rail 32 by driving the pinion 31, and the sample 1 is transported to the analysis chamber 5.

Therefore, in the sample introducing device in the conventional surface analyzer, the sample 1 is introduced into the introducing portion housing 3.
Introducing step to introduce into the inside, and the introduced sample 1 to the transport mechanism 3
The sample 1 is introduced by the two steps of the lift step set at 0. On the contrary, the unloading of the sample 1 is also performed in two steps: a lift step of separating the sample 1 from the transport mechanism 30 by the lift mechanism 42 and an unloading step of unloading the sample 1 out of the introduction unit housing 3.

[0009]

However, in the sample introduction device in the above-mentioned conventional surface analysis device,
There are the following problems. (1) Two steps, an introduction step and a lift step, or a lift step and an unload step, are required at the time of introducing and transporting a sample, and many operation steps are complicated. (2) Further, in the installation of the carriage on the transport mechanism and the separation from the transport mechanism, the lift mechanism is driven from outside the introducing unit housing via the linear motion introducing mechanism, so that the operation becomes complicated. (3) Further, a mechanical device such as a linear motion introducing mechanism for performing an operation in the introducing portion housing is required, and a space therefor is required.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned problems, reduces the number of steps during introduction and transportation of a sample, facilitates the operation, and introduces a sample into a surface analyzer in which the apparatus for introduction is simplified. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0011]

In order to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a sample introduction device for introducing a sample into the introduction part housing of a surface analyzer, wherein the sample is analyzed in the introduction part housing with the introduction part housing. It has a transporting means for transporting a sample to and from a chamber, and a sample moving means for mounting and removing a sample from the transporting means in the introducing part housing. It can be driven in relation to the process.

Further, as the sample moving means, a feedthrough utilizing vacuum suction force can be used.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the sample introduction device of the surface analysis device is configured as described above. (1) At the time of introducing and conveying the sample, the sample conveying device is simultaneously provided in the introducing step or the unloading step. Can be installed and removed. (2) Further, a mechanism device for performing an operation in the introducing portion housing such as a linear motion introducing mechanism is not required, so that the mechanism can be simplified and the space can be reduced and the size can be reduced.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are block diagrams of a sample introduction device in the surface analysis device of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the introduction port is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the introduction port is opened.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is a sample, 2 is a dolly,
3 is an inlet housing, 4 is an inlet port, 5 is an analysis room,
6 is a drive device, 7 is an exhaust device, 8 is a control device, 11 is a base, 12 is a support portion, 13 is a cross roller bearing,
14 is a crank, 15-1 and 15-2 are crankshafts, 1
6 is a spring, 17 is a slide shaft, 18 is a ball bush, 19 is an O-ring, 21 is a field through, 22
Is a bellows, 23 is a lever, 30 is a transport mechanism, 31 is a pinion, 32 is a transport rail, 33 is a rack, and 44 is a lid.

Sample 1, like the conventional sample introduction device,
A transport mechanism 30 that is introduced into the introduction unit housing 3 while being placed on the carriage 2 and is installed in the introduction unit housing 3.
Is transported to the analysis chamber 5. In addition, the transport mechanism 3
0 is composed of a pinion 31 and a transport rail 32. The trolley 2 is supported on the transport rail 32 and moves the trolley 2 by rotating the gear of the pinion 31 by engaging with the gears of the rack 33 and the pinion 31 installed on the trolley 2. Conventional ones can be used.

In the sample introducing device of the surface analyzer of the present invention, the conventional lift mechanism 42 and linear motion introducing mechanism 4 are used.
The lift process of the trolley 2 by 1 does not depend on the independent process by the lift mechanism 42 and the linear motion introducing mechanism 41.
It is performed simultaneously with the introduction process or the unloading process. The mechanism for performing the lift step and the introduction step or the lift step and the carry-out step of the present invention in one step will be described below.

The introduction part housing 3 is adjacent to the analysis chamber via a gate valve, and the open end of the introduction part housing 3 opposite to the analysis chamber 5 is an introduction port 4.
A lid portion 44 is attached to the introduction port 4 via an O-ring 19 to maintain the inside of the introduction portion housing 3 in a vacuum state. The support part 12 is fixed to the introduction part housing 3 side of the lid part 44, and the support part 12 has a part for attaching a base 11 and a crank 14 described later.

One surface of the support portion 12 faces the lid portion 44 side, and the other side faces the base 11. A cross roller bearing 1 is provided between the support 12 and the base 11.
3, the base 11 is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the fixed support portion 12. The cross roller bearing 13 is constituted by, for example, a bearing provided in a V groove formed in the vertical direction on the surfaces of the base 11 and the support portion 12 facing each other. This allows the base 11 to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support portion 12, and the lateral movement of the base 11 can be restricted.

A spring 16 is attached between one end of the base 11 and one end of the support portion 12 in the moving direction of the base 11, and urges the base 11 in a direction away from the support portion 12 upward. ing. This allows the base 11
Are normally held in an elevated position. The raised position of the base 11 can be restricted to a fixed position by a stopper or the like.

The base 11 is provided with a portion for holding the truck 2 of the sample 1. This portion temporarily holds the carriage 2 when the carriage 2 is introduced into the introduction housing 3, and then transfers the carriage 2 to the transport mechanism 30. Further, the base 11 is provided with a part of a lift mechanism for lowering and raising the base 11 itself and the carriage 2 held on the base 11. The lift mechanism transfers the base 11 of the carriage 2 to the transfer mechanism 30 and transfers the transfer mechanism 30 to the base 11. The lift mechanism provided on the base 11 includes a crank 14 and a crankshaft 15.
-1, 15-2, lever 23 described later
Rotates the crank 14 to lower the base 11 against the spring force of the spring 16 and arrange the carriage 2 on the transport mechanism 30.

The other components of the lift mechanism are composed of a field through 21, a bellows 22 and a lever 23 provided in the introduction portion housing 3. One end of the lever 23 is located in contact with the free end of the crank 14, and the other end is attached to the bellows 22. The end of the bellows 22 is in contact with the atmosphere via the field through 21. The bellows 22 urges the lever 23 in a direction to push it into the introducing portion housing 3.

Therefore, the lever 23 moves into the introduction portion housing 3 due to the pressure difference between the pressure inside the introduction portion housing 3 and the atmospheric pressure, and conversely, due to the force of the spring of the bellows 22, the introduction portion housing 3. 3 Move out. That is, when the inside of the introduction housing 3 is evacuated and in a vacuum state, the lever 23 moves into the introduction housing 3 and pushes up the free end of the crank 14, and conversely, the lid 44 is opened to introduce the introduction portion. When the housing 3 has the same pressure as the atmosphere, the lever 23 moves to the outside of the introduction housing 3 and separates from the free end of the crank 14.

When the lever 23 moves into the introduction portion housing 3 and pushes up the free end of the crank 14, the base attached to the fixed end of the crank 14 due to the positional relationship between the crank shaft 15-1 and the crank shaft 15-2. The reference numeral 11 moves downward while compressing the spring 16. By the movement of the base 11, the carriage 2 is moved onto the transport mechanism 30, and the rack 33 of the carriage 2 and the pinion 31 are engaged with each other.

The relationship between the spring force and the force from the feedthrough 21 side required to balance the force for moving the base 11 downward while compressing the spring 16 is as described above. Is required to be larger than the spring force of the spring 16 that always tries to pull up the feed through 21. Also,
The force from the feedthrough 21 is proportional to the surface area of the metal fitting that is welding the bellows 22. Therefore, the spring 1
The force from the feed-through 21 at the point of application of the force of 6 and the force from the feed-through 21 depends on the surface area of the metal fitting welding the bellows 22 and the crankshaft 1 of the crank 14.
It can be set by adjusting the fulcrum position of 5 and the position of the action point.

The movement of the lid portion 44 with respect to the introduction port 4 is performed by the slide shaft 17 and the ball bush 1.
Performed by 8. One end of the slide shaft 17 is attached to the introduction portion housing 3 side, while the ball bush 18 is fixed to the lid portion 44, and the position of the ball bush 18 with respect to the slide shaft 17 is moved by rotating the slide shaft 17. By this movement, the lid portion 44 is moved.

Next, the movement of introducing the sample 1 will be described. First, the sample 1 is placed on the carriage 2 outside the surface analyzer to prepare the sample, and the carriage 2 is introduced into the introduction portion housing 3. When the carriage 2 is introduced into the introduction portion housing 3, first, the inside of the introduction portion housing 3 is brought to atmospheric pressure, the slide shaft 17 and the ball bush 18 are driven, the lid portion 44 is separated from the introduction portion housing 3, and the introduction port 4 of the introduction port 4 is removed. Open.

With the movement of the lid portion 44, the support portion 12 and the base 11 fixed to the lid portion 44 are pulled out from the introducing portion housing 3. By this drawing, the free end of the crank 14 is separated from the lever 23, and the force of the spring 16 causes the base 11 to slide upward with respect to the support portion 12 by the cross roller bearing 13. Further, when the lid portion 44 is moved, the portion of the base 11 on which the carriage 2 is placed is pulled out of the introduction portion housing 3. In this state, the dolly 2 is attached to the portion of the base 11 on which the dolly 2 is placed.

Next, the lid portion 44 is attached again by the slide shaft 17 and the ball bush 18 to the introduction portion housing 3
To the end, and close the introduction port 4. The introduction port 4 is sealed by the lid portion 44 and the end portion of the introduction portion housing 3 via the O-ring 19. When the support portion 12 is completely inserted into the introduction portion housing 3, the carriage 2 is located above the pinion 31 of the transport mechanism 30. At this time, since the support portion 12 of the rack 33 of the carriage 2 is lifted upward by the spring 16, the collision with the pinion 31 of the transport mechanism 30 can be prevented.

When the support 12 is completely inserted into the introduction housing 3, the free end of the tip of the crank 14 is located above the lever 23. At this time, the crank 14
Although the free end of the tip of the crank lowers downward, contacting the free end of the crank 14 with the lever 23 and obstacles in insertion due to the contact can be prevented by keeping the lever 23 in the lowered state.

When the inside of the introduction housing 3 is evacuated by the evacuation operation in the sealed state, the feedthrough 21 expands in the direction of the inside of the introduction housing 3 against the force of the bellows 22 due to the suction force of the vacuum. The lever 23 moves into the introduction housing 3. The lever 23 pushes up the free end of the crank 14 and slides the base 11 with respect to the support 12 to lower it.

When the base 11 descends, the carriage 2 also descends, and its rack 33 engages with the pinion 31 of the transport mechanism 30. In this meshed state, when the pinion 31 is rotated, the carriage 2 is guided to the transport rail 32 and transported to the analysis chamber 5. Conversely, when the sample 1 is unloaded, the carriage 2 is unloaded from the analysis chamber 5 by the transport mechanism 30 and moved from the end of the transport mechanism 30 onto the base 11.

At this position, when the inside of the introducing portion housing 3 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, the lift feedthrough 21 is lowered by the force of the bellows 22. Base 11
Is pulled up by the force of the spring 16 because the crank 14 no longer receives the force from the lever 23. As a result, the engagement between the rack 33 of the carriage 2 and the pinion 31 is disengaged.

After that, the lid 44 is moved by the slide shaft 17 and the ball bush 18 in the direction away from the end of the introduction housing 3, and the introduction port 4 is opened. After the opening, the sample 1 can be collected by removing the truck 2 from the base 11. Therefore, in the sample introduction device of the surface analysis apparatus of the present invention, since the lift process for the sample transport mechanism is simultaneously performed in association with the introduction process, the conventional introduction process and the lift process are performed by one process. It can be carried out.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the movement of the lid portion 44 by the slide shaft 17 and the ball bush 18 is performed manually or by an automatic device independent of other devices. By driving the drive device 6 for driving the ball bushing 18 and the ball bush 18, the exhaust device 7, and the transport mechanism 30 in cooperation with each other, the process from the introduction to the transport can be automated.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention, which are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, (1) there is no need for a mechanism device for performing an operation in the introducing portion housing such as a linear motion introducing mechanism, which is required in the prior art. Not only can it be simplified, but also space saving and miniaturization can be achieved. (2) Since the sample can be attached to and removed from the transporting device at the same time during the introduction process or the carrying-out process at the time of introducing and carrying out the sample, the process is simplified and the operation is simplified and simplified. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sample introduction device in a surface analysis device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a sample introduction device in the surface analysis device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a sample introduction device in a conventional surface analysis device.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a sample introduction device in a conventional surface analysis device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sample, 2 ... Cart, 3 ... Introductory housing, 4 ... Introducing port, 5 ... Analysis chamber, 6 ... Driving device, 7 ... Exhaust device, 8
Is a control device, 11 is a base, 12 is a support part, 13 is a cross roller bearing, 14 is a crank, and 15-1 and 1 are shown.
5-2 ... Crank shaft, 16 ... Spring, 17 ... Slide shaft, 18 ... Ball bush, 19 ... O-ring, 21 ...
Field through, 22 ... Bellows, 23 ... Lever, 3
0 ... Transport mechanism, 31 ... Pinion, 32 ... Transport rail, 3
3 ... Rack, 43, 44 ... Lid

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample introducing device for introducing a sample into an introducing part housing of a surface analyzer, and (b) transporting the sample between the introducing part housing and an analysis chamber in the introducing part housing. And (c) sample moving means for attaching and detaching the sample to and from the carrying means in the introducing part housing, and (d) the sample moving means is introduced into the sample introducing device or A surface analysis device characterized by being driven in connection with an unloading process.