JPH08212960A - Electron microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To confirm a device setting condition or the like without transferring eyes off a visual field of an electron microscope image, by providing a CRT monitor of displaying the setting condition of a microscope simultaneously with the electron microscope image, in the electron microscope. CONSTITUTION: An operating switch of assigning a display item, switch of assigning a display operation, etc., from various device setting conditions, are mounted in an operating switch panel 17, to always read an operating condition of the operating switch in a control CPU 16, and to feed its display item data to a display controller 15. Further from the operating switch panel 17, when a display request is created, a signal of an electron microscope image and the display item data are synthesized and displayed in a CRT monitor 10, to continue its display till providing a request of ending the display. In this way, the electron microscope image, without losing even its instantaneous change timing, can be observed and photographed by reducing erroneous operation of providing or not a film, setting magnification, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electron microscope, and more particularly to an apparatus equipped with a CRT monitor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are few examples of an apparatus for observing an image of an electron microscope on a CRT monitor, and various setting conditions of the apparatus are inconvenient for visually confirming a setting position of a knob on an operating console.
Further, when a film of an electron microscope image is photographed, a film number or the like previously input at a predetermined position is photographed and exposed together with the electron microscope image.

[0003]

When observing and operating a delicate electron microscope image displayed on a CRT monitor, it is difficult to focus on the apparatus setting conditions outside the field of view of the electron microscope image. In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of confirming setting conditions without keeping an eye on an electron microscope image under observation.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A part of a CRT monitor which does not prevent observation of an electron microscope image together with information such as an acceleration voltage value, a magnification, the number of remaining films, a film exposure number, etc. of a device setting condition. To be displayed at the same time.

[0005]

[Function] When observing and manipulating a transient electron microscope image that changes instantaneously and taking a picture, the function of being able to take a photograph of the electron microscope image that is surely targeted without missing the momentary timing is provided. This is the most important item required for the equipment. At that time, if the device of the present invention is used, the device setting conditions and the like can be confirmed without moving the eye out of the field of view of the electron microscope image, and the instantaneous change timing of the electron microscope image can be captured (or stored in a memory such as a control CPU). You can remember.

[0006]

EXAMPLE FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of a general transmission electron microscope in principle. The electron beam 2 is generated from the electron gun and the accelerating tube 1 and is accelerated, and the condenser lens 3 sets the desired brightness and spot diameter to irradiate the sample 4. The image of the sample 4 is magnified by the objective lens 5 and the projection lens 6 and focused to form an electron microscope image 8 on the fluorescent plate 7.

Normally, the transmission electron microscope is operated by moving the sample while observing the electron microscope image 8 on the fluorescent screen 7 so that the optimum region of the sample 4 can be observed, accelerating voltage, image magnification, image brightness, etc. Is operated to operate and set the apparatus conditions so that a better photograph of the electron microscope image 8 of the sample 4 can be obtained. When the optimum conditions for the electron microscope image to be photographed are satisfied, the unexposed film for photographing is fed, the shutter is operated to perform the photographing, and after photographing, the film is removed from the film photographing position. Although this structure is not shown in the figure, a normal transmission electron microscope is provided with a mechanism for photographing under the fluorescent plate 7 that is being observed. That is, when the electron microscope image 8 observed by the fluorescent plate 7 is photographed, the fluorescent plate 7 is removed from the optical axis and is fed in advance and photographed on a set film. The operation of removing the fluorescent plate 7 from the optical axis corresponds to the shutter operation for taking a photograph of the transmission electron microscope. At this time, the unexposed film is taken out one by one from the stocker of the film immediately before photographing so as not to be affected by the X-rays emitted from the apparatus.

In the environment in which the transmission electron microscope is operated, the electron microscope image 8 having a weak contrast on the fluorescent plate 7 is often observed, and therefore the observation operation is usually performed in a dark dark room.
For this reason, the various operation knobs and switches on the operation console of the electron microscope are partially illuminated so as to reduce erroneous operations, but when observing the fluorescent screen 7, the operator is placed in a posture where he / she looks closely at the device and looks into it. I often operate with
It is extremely difficult to confirm the setting conditions for the apparatus while operating the electron microscope image 8.

Although not commonly used in ordinary transmission electron microscopes, in some cases such as the problem of X-ray leakage in ultra high voltage electron microscopes, or in the case of observing an electron microscope image in a bright room. In some cases, the electron microscope image 8 of the fluorescent screen 7 is captured by the TV camera 9 and displayed on the CRT monitor 10.

Although an example of the arrangement of the TV camera 9 is also shown in FIG. 4, strictly speaking, with this arrangement, the electron microscope image 8 of the fluorescent screen 7 must be photographed obliquely from above, and the CRT monitor 10 is required.
The figure observed at becomes an image with large distortion. Therefore, when the TV camera device 11 is set on the optical axis between the projection lens 6 and the fluorescent plate 7 and an image is taken, an electron microscope image with less distortion can be obtained.

An example of the structure of the TV camera device 11 is shown in FIG. This TV camera device 11 has a structure in which a fluorescent plate 12 and a TV camera 9 are integrated and combined. When observing an electron microscope image with the TV camera 9, this TV
The camera device 11 is inserted in the optical axis between the projection lens 6 and the fluorescent plate 7, the transmission image of the electron microscope image 13 projected on the fluorescent plate 12 is reflected by the mirror 14, and the reflected image is photographed by the TV camera 9. To display an image on the CRT monitor 10. However,
This TV camera device 11 is put in the optical axis only when it is used,
When taking a photograph of an electron microscope image or observing the electron microscope image 8 of the fluorescent plate 7, it must be taken out from the optical axis and placed.

FIG. 1 is an example of a device configuration for carrying out the present invention. The display controller 15 is a device that receives a video signal of an electron microscope image from the TV camera 9 and display item data of the setting conditions of the device from the control CPU 16 and controls the display on the CRT monitor 10.

Further, the operation switch board 17 is provided with operation switches 22 to 24 for designating display items 21 to be displayed on the CRT monitor 10 and switches for designating display operation among various device setting conditions. The operating states of these operating switches are constantly read by the control CPU 16 and the display item data thereof are sent to the display controller 15. Further, when a display request is issued from the operation switch board 17, the signal of the electron microscope image and the display item data are combined to display a CRT.
It is displayed on the monitor 10, and the display is continued until there is a request to end the display.

As a result, the electron microscope image taken by the TV camera 9 and the display items on the operation switch board 17 are the CRT monitor 1.
Display can be executed in the display area 19 of 0. That is, the operator operates the operation switch panel 17 to display the display item 21.
When the display on / off switch 25 is selected and the necessity of the display is indicated, the display item 21 as instructed is displayed on the CRT monitor 10 at the same time as the electron microscope image.

The display items 21 on the operation switch board 17 are shown in FIG.
Etc., that is, from the device setting conditions that the operator wants to confirm during observation, the operation switches 22 to 24 for designating the display item 21, the display on / off designating switch 25 for designating the necessity of display, and the CRT monitor 10
Position designation switch 26 for designating the display area 19 of
An example of arrangement is shown.

Although there are many setting conditions for the apparatus, an example in which three kinds of display items 21, that is, an accelerating voltage display switch 22, a magnification display switch 23 and a remaining film number display switch 24 are selected is shown. When the respective switches are pressed, the display area 19 of the CRT monitor 10 is displayed as shown in FIG. 3, and the unpressed switches are not displayed. When the display on / off designating switch 25 is pressed, only the items of the switches 22 to 24 that are pressed are displayed, and when the switch 25 is not pressed, nothing is displayed.

The switch for designating the position of the display area 19 on the CRT monitor 10 is the display position designating switch 26. The switch 26 is input by matrix designation by a switch generally used or coordinate designation by ten-key input or the like. However, since it is often more useful to set the display position fixedly, it does not affect the operability of the apparatus even if this operation cannot be performed.

By operating these switches,
Select the required display item 21 in the device setting conditions,
It is displayed in the display area 19 of the CRT monitor 10, the display item 21 is changed according to the operator's instruction as needed, and the instruction of turning on / off the display can be executed.

FIG. 3 shows a display area 1 of the CRT monitor 10.
9 shows an example displayed on the screen. The acceleration voltage display shows the acceleration voltage applied to the device at that time, for example, 100 KV and 2
1-1 is displayed, and the magnification display is the magnification currently operated by the operator, for example, X10K, that is, a magnification of 10,000 times as in 21-2, and the remaining film number is 020 and the remaining 20 If there is an exposed film, it is displayed as shown in 21-3. Although these display items actually require a larger number of items, this data is controlled by the electron microscope CPU 16
It goes without saying that since the current device conditions and the like are all present in the control CPU 16 as long as they are controlled by, the latest conditions can be displayed each time a request is made for addition of display items and setting conditions.

Further, as an extension of this apparatus configuration example, the display controller 15 is replaced with a commercially available image processing apparatus, and the setting conditions of the operation switch board 17 are read into the control CPU 10 to control the control CPU 16. Even if the image processing apparatus originally displays the electron microscope image and the setting conditions of the operation switch board 17 on the CRT monitor 13, the same or more functions as those described with reference to FIG. 1 can be executed.

If the operation switch board 17 is replaced with an operation figure of a window of a personal computer or a workstation and used together with an image processing apparatus, a more powerful man-machine and an apparatus having an image processing function can be obtained. The operability can be improved.

Further, the control CPU uses the electron microscope image as a video signal.
When image data is stored in the image processing apparatus, the electron microscope image displayed on the CRT monitor 10 and a copy of the display item can be output to a printer or the like. Further, at this time, the display item has the same function at the time of printing as the display is turned on / off, and it is possible to simultaneously output or display only the electron microscope image.

[0023]

[Effects of the Invention] When observing and manipulating an important transient electron microscope image which changes instantaneously and taking a photograph, if the operator operates the apparatus of the present invention, the eyes are out of the field of view of the electron microscope image. Since the device setting conditions and the like can be confirmed without moving, it is possible to observe without missing the momentary change timing of the electron microscope image, and it is possible to take a picture with less operation mistakes such as presence or absence of film and magnification setting.

At the same time, when a storage device such as a control CPU and an image processing device is provided, it is possible to record data of an electron microscope image instantaneously, and to record an instantaneous change of the electron microscope image at a higher speed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of switch arrangement such as display items on an operation switch board.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which display items are displayed in a display area of a CRT monitor.

[Fig. 4] Principle configuration of general transmission electron microscope and TV
The example of arrangement of a camera is shown.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a TV camera with a fluorescent screen that causes less image distortion.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Electron gun and accelerator tube, 2 ... Electron beam, 3 ... Condenser lens, 4 ... Sample, 5 ... Objective lens, 6 ... Projection lens,
7 ... Fluorescent plate, 8, 13, 18 ... Electron microscope image, 9 ... TV camera, 10 ... CRT monitor, 11 ... TV camera device, 1
2 ... Fluorescent screen, 14 ... Mirror, 15 ... Display controller,
16 ... Control CPU, 17 ... Operation switch panel, 19 ... Display area, 21 ... Display item, 21-1 ... Accelerating voltage display, 2
1-2 ... Magnification display, 21-3 ... Remaining film number display, 2
2 ... Acceleration voltage display switch, 23 ... Magnification display switch,
24 ... remaining film number display switch, 25 ... display on / off switch, 26 ... display position designation switch.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A CRT monitor for displaying the setting conditions of the electron microscope at the same time as the electron microscope image displayed on the CRT monitor at a position where observation of the electron microscope image is not obstructed. An electron microscope comprising: 2. The device according to claim 1, having a function of selecting and designating display items from the setting conditions of the microscope, and a function of designating whether or not to display the display items of the selected setting conditions on a CRT monitor. An electron microscope characterized by. 3. The electron microscope according to claim 1, wherein when the electron microscope image is output to a printer or the like, it is possible to specify whether simultaneous print output of the setting conditions is necessary or not.