TWI688984B - Membrane assembly, examination container and electron microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

An examination container includes a main body, a membrane assembly and a cover. The main body has an accommodating trough for holding sample. The membrane assembly covers an opening end of the accommodating trough. The membrane assembly includes a support body and a membrane. The support body has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the support body is flat and has a first through hole penetrating through the first surface and the second surface. The membrane is arranged on the second surface side of the support body and has a second through hole, wherein the second through hole opposites to the first through hole for passing a charged particle beam through the second through hole. The cover is detachably connected to the main body to secure the membrane assembly. The above-mentioned examination container is easy to replace and produces only a small amount of consumables. An electron microscope using the above-mentioned examination container is also disclosed.

Description

Thin film assembly, inspection container and electron microscope

The invention relates to an inspection technique using an electron microscope, in particular to a thin film component, an inspection container and an electron microscope that can inspect samples under normal pressure.

The conventional electron microscope tests samples in a vacuum environment, so it is impossible to test samples under normal pressure, such as samples containing liquid or gas. In order to overcome this defect, electron microscopes that use a film that can be penetrated by a charged particle beam to separate a vacuum environment and a non-vacuum environment have been developed. That is, the area between the film and the electron gun is a vacuum environment, and the area between the film and the sample is It can be a non-vacuum environment. According to this structure, the electron microscope can test samples under normal pressure, such as the dispersed state of suspended particles, gases in reaction or biological samples of living bodies, etc.

However, it is inevitable that the thin film will be damaged by the bombardment of the charged particle beam or dirty due to contact with the sample. Traditionally, the film is adhered to the block material, and then the block material is locked at a predetermined position with a plurality of screws. Therefore, the procedure for replacing the film each time is cumbersome and generates a lot of consumables.

In view of this, how to easily replace the film is currently the goal of great efforts.

The invention provides a thin film assembly, which is provided with a thin film on a flat support. The thin film assembly can be fixed on a main body with a cover to form an inspection container for inspection by an electron microscope. Therefore, the amount of consumables generated when replacing the film of the present invention can be greatly reduced, and the operator can easily replace the film assembly.

The film assembly of an embodiment of the present invention includes a support and a film. The support member has a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the support member is flat and has a first through hole, which penetrates the first surface and the second surface. The material of the support member is at least one of metal, metal compound, or polymer material. The thin film is disposed on the second surface side of the support and has a second through hole, wherein the second through hole corresponds to the first through hole, and the second through hole can pass a charged particle beam.

An inspection container according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, a film assembly, and a cover. The main body has an accommodating groove to accommodate the sample. The film assembly covers one open end of the accommodating groove. The film assembly includes a support and a film. The support member has a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the support member is flat and has a first through hole, which penetrates the first surface and the second surface. The material of the support member is at least one of metal, metal compound, or polymer material, and the edge of the support member extends to the edge of the accommodating groove. The thin film is disposed on the second surface side of the support and has a second through hole, wherein the second through hole corresponds to the first through hole, and the second through hole can pass a charged particle beam. The cover body is detachably combined with the main body, and the cover body presses the edge of the support to tightly fix the film assembly on the main body.

An electron microscope according to yet another embodiment of the present invention includes an inspection chamber, a charged particle beam generator, an inspection container, and a detector. The inspection chamber defines a vacuum environment. The charged particle beam generator is connected to the inspection chamber to generate a charged particle beam in the inspection chamber. The inspection container is placed in the inspection chamber to receive the bombardment of the charged particle beam. The inspection container includes a main body, a film assembly and a cover. The main body has an accommodating groove to accommodate the sample. The film assembly covers one open end of the accommodating groove. The film assembly includes a support and a film. The support member has a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the support member is flat and has a first through hole, which penetrates the first surface and the second surface. Support material It is at least one of metal, metal compound, or polymer material, and the edge of the supporting member extends to the edge of the accommodating groove. The thin film is disposed on the second surface side of the support and has a second through hole, wherein the second through hole corresponds to the first through hole, and the second through hole can pass a charged particle beam to bombard the sample. The cover body is detachably combined with the main body, and the cover body presses the edge of the support to tightly fix the film assembly on the main body. The detector is used to detect a response of the sample bombarded by the charged particle beam and convert it into an electronic signal.

The following is a detailed description with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, so that it is easier to understand the purpose, technical content, features, and effects of the present invention.

10: Inspection container

11: main body

111: accommodation slot

112: stage

112a: positioning pin

112b: Upright surface

112c: Sample pad

113a: fluid inlet

113b: fluid outlet

113c: temperature control fluid inlet

113d: temperature control fluid outlet

114: putter

115: temperature control runner

115a: convex part

12: Thin film module

121: Support

121a: first surface

121b: Second surface

121c: First groove

121d: the first through hole

121e: second groove

122: film

122a: second through hole

13: Cover

131: opening

14, 14a, 14b: O-ring

15: temperature control components

21: Inspection chamber

22: Charged particle beam generator

221: charged particle beam

222: Response

23: Detector

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the inspection container of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a combined diagram showing the inspection container of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a partially enlarged structure of a thin film device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a third embodiment of the invention.

6 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

7 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

8 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.

9 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to a seventh embodiment of the invention.

10 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection container according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a thin film assembly according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a thin film assembly according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an electron microscope according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the following, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail, together with the drawings as an example. In addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention can also be widely implemented in other embodiments. The easy replacement, modification, and equivalent changes of any of the described embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the patent application is quasi. In the description of the specification, in order to make the reader have a more complete understanding of the present invention, many specific details are provided; however, the present invention may still be implemented on the premise that some or all of the specific details are omitted. In addition, well-known steps or elements are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily limiting the invention. The same or similar elements in the drawings will be represented by the same or similar symbols. It is important to note that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and do not represent the actual size or number of components. Some details may not be fully drawn for simplicity.

1 to 3, an inspection container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed in an inspection chamber of an electron microscope to inspect a sample in the inspection container 10. The inspection container 10 includes a main body 11, a film assembly 12 and a cover 13. The main body 11 has an accommodating groove 111 for accommodating samples, such as the dispersed state of suspended particles or living biological samples. In an embodiment, the material of the body 11 may be stainless steel. The film assembly 12 covers one open end of the containing groove 111 to close the containing groove 111.

Please refer to FIG. 3 together. The film assembly 12 includes a support 121 and a film 122. The supporting member 121 has a first surface 121a and an opposite second surface 121b. The supporting member 121 has a flat plate shape and has a first through hole 121d. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the supporting member 121 includes a thinned area covering the first through hole 121d to reduce the height of the side wall of the first through hole 121d. For example, a first groove 121c may be provided on the first surface 121a side of the support 121. The first through hole 121d is disposed at the bottom of the first groove 121c, so that the height of the side wall of the first through hole 121d can be reduced. It should be noted that referring to FIG. 11, the support 121 may not have any thinned area, that is, neither the first surface 121a nor the second surface 121b has a height difference. It can be understood that the side wall of the first through hole 121d may block signal reception. In an embodiment, the ratio of the height of the side wall of the first through hole 121d to the width of the first through hole 121d should be less than or equal to 0.7. In an embodiment, the material of the support member 121 may be a metal or a metal compound, a non-metal compound, or a polymer material. For example, the metal or metal compound may be aluminum, copper, aluminum oxide, or stainless steel; the non-metal compound may be glass, ceramics, nitride, carbide, or silicide; the polymer material may be plastic or rubber.

The film 122 is disposed on the second surface 121b side of the support 121, and has a second through hole 122a. The second through hole 122a of the thin film 122 corresponds to the first through hole 121d of the support 121. Therefore, the charged particle beam can enter the accommodating groove 111 through the first through hole 121d and the second through hole 122a to bombard the sample. Those skilled in the art of the present invention can understand that the film 122 further includes a membrane covering the second through-hole 122a to maintain the airtightness of the containing groove 111. For simplicity, the diaphragm covering the second through hole 122a is not shown. In an embodiment, the thin film 122 may be a thin film wafer. For example, the material of the thin film wafer may be semiconductor nitride, semiconductor oxide, metal oxide, polymer material, graphite, graphene, or other suitable materials.

The cover 13 is detachably combined with the main body 11 to fix the film assembly 12. In an embodiment, the cover 13 can rotate relative to the main body 11 to be locked on the main body 11 and tightly press the film assembly 12 to prevent the sample from leaking out of the accommodating groove 111. In detail, referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the edge of the supporting member 121 can extend to the edge of the accommodating groove 111, and the cover 13 can press the edge of the supporting member 121 to press and fix the film assembly 12 to the main body 11 on. For example, the cover body 13 and the main body 11 may be provided with corresponding screw threads, respectively, so that the cover body 13 and the main body 11 can be relatively rotated and locked. In an embodiment, an O-ring 14 may be disposed between the main body 11 and the support 121 to increase the sealing effect. It can be understood that the cover 13 has an appropriate opening 131 to avoid blocking the first through hole 121d of the support 121 and the second through hole 122a of the film 122. In an embodiment, the material of the cover 13 may be stainless steel.

According to the above structure, the operator can directly rotate to remove the cover 13, and the film assembly 12 can be replaced after the cover 13 is removed. Therefore, the operator can easily replace the damaged film 12. In addition, the support 121 is a flat-plate structure, and the film 122 is relatively easy to remove from the support 121, and then the new film 122 is pasted. Therefore, the support 121 can be recycled and reused to further reduce unrecoverable consumables.

In one embodiment, the second through hole 122a may be a round hole, a square hole, or an elongated hole. It can be understood that the second through hole 122a is a circular hole-shaped film 122 that can withstand a relatively large pressure. In other words, under the same pressure conditions, the diameter of the round hole can be larger than the diameter of the square hole without causing damage to the membrane 122, therefore, a larger round hole can obtain a larger inspection range. In one embodiment, the side wall of the second through hole 122a has a step. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening of the second through hole 122a toward the support 12 is larger. According to this structure, the backscattering charged particles generated by the sample can be prevented from being blocked by the thin film 122.

In one embodiment, the second surface 121b of the support member 121 has a second groove 121e. The film 122 is disposed in the second groove 121e. It should be noted that the depth of the second groove 121e is less than the thickness of the film 122. According to this structure, the film 122 slightly protrudes from the second surface 121b of the support 121 to avoid bubbles staying at the position of the second through hole 122a to squeeze out the sample or affect inspection. It can be understood that, without considering the bubbles, such as observing a gas sample, the depth of the second groove 121e may be greater than the thickness of the film 122, as shown in FIG. 12. In an embodiment, the shape of the second groove 121e may be a circle, a square, or a square whose endpoint is a circle.

Please refer to FIG. 4. In order to simplify the drawing, the O-ring 14 is not drawn in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, a stage 112 can be disposed in the receiving groove 111, and the mounting position corresponds to the second through hole 122a of the film 122. Because the charged particle beam is easily absorbed by the liquid and the penetration depth is relatively shallow, by designing the stage 112 with an appropriate height, the distance between the stage 112 and the thin film assembly 12 can be set to ensure that the sample on the stage 112 can be absorbed The charged particle beam is bombarded, and the backscattered charged particles generated by the sample can penetrate the thin film 122 and be detected by the detector. In an embodiment, a fluid inlet 113a and a fluid outlet 113b may be provided in the accommodating groove 111. The fluid sample can enter the accommodating tank 111 through the fluid inlet 113a, pass the stage 112 for inspection, and then be discharged through the fluid outlet 113b. Preferably, the fluid inlet 113a and the fluid outlet 113b to The distance between the film assembly 12 is greater than the distance between the stage 112 and the film assembly 12. According to this structure, the generation of air bubbles on the top of the accommodating groove 111 can be avoided.

Please refer to FIG. 5. In an embodiment, the stage 112 is detachably installed in the accommodating groove 111. For example, a positioning pin 112a is provided under the carrier 112, so that the positioning pin 112a is aligned with the slot in the receiving slot 111, and the carrier 112 can be pushed into the receiving slot 111. According to this structure, the operator can replace the stage 112 with different heights to adjust the distance between the stage 112 and the film assembly 12. In one embodiment, an O-ring 14a may be disposed around the stage 112 to prevent the sample or fluid from entering the bottom of the containing groove 111.

Please refer to FIG. 6. In an embodiment, the stage 112 includes an upright surface 112 b. For example, the top surface of the stage 112 has a step, so that an upright surface 112b is formed. According to this structure, the sample can stand against the upright surface 112b to inspect the side of the sample, for example, to observe the depth of the etching liquid etching the sample. It should be noted that the upright surface 112b is not limited to a vertical plane, but it may also be an inclined plane to facilitate observation of samples at different angles.

Please refer to FIG. 7. In an embodiment, a push rod 114 may be disposed under the stage 112, and the push rod 114 extends outside the accommodating groove 111. According to this structure, the operator can use the push rod 114 to adjust the height of the stage 112 without opening the inspection container, that is, the distance between the stage 112 and the film assembly 12. For example, the push rod 114 has a thread, and the operator can use a suitable tool to rotate the push rod 114 to adjust the distance between the stage 112 and the film assembly 12. In one embodiment, the push rod 114 can also be driven electrically.

Please refer to FIG. 8. In an embodiment, the inspection container may include a sample pad 112 c, which is detachably disposed on a top surface of the stage 112. The sample pad 112c may be a disposable component for testing highly contaminated or difficult-to-clean samples. Alternatively, the active biological sample can be cultured on the sample pad 112c, and then the sample pad 112c with the biological sample attached is placed on the stage 112 for observation. It can be understood that the sample pad 112c can also be provided with an appropriate pattern to control the flow behavior of the fluid sample for easy observation.

Please refer to FIG. 9. In one embodiment, the stage 112 has a temperature control flow channel 115, which is disposed below the stage 112. The temperature control fluid may flow into the temperature control flow channel 115 from the temperature control fluid inlet 113c to heat or cool the sample on the stage 112, and then flow out from the temperature control fluid outlet 113d. After heating or cooling, the temperature control fluid can flow into the temperature control flow channel 115 again to form a circulating temperature control system. In one embodiment, a convex portion 115a may be provided in the temperature control flow channel 115 so that the top of the temperature control flow channel 115 near the sample can be filled with temperature control fluid. It can be seen from the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 that the temperature control flow channel 115 is composed of two components. Therefore, the O-ring 14b is provided at an appropriate position to prevent the temperature control fluid from leaking out.

Please refer to FIG. 10. In an embodiment, the inspection container 10 may include a temperature control component 15, which is disposed outside the main body 11. The temperature control assembly 15 can directly heat or cool the main body 11 or the entire inspection container 10 to control the temperature of the sample or the inspection environment. It can be understood that the temperature control assembly 15 can directly heat the main body 11 or the entire inspection container 10 from the outside at a relatively high temperature, for example, above 100 degrees Celsius, or even up to 300 degrees Celsius or above.

Referring to FIG. 13, an electron microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inspection chamber 21, a charged particle beam generator 22, an inspection container 10, and a detector 23. The inspection chamber 21 may define a vacuum environment. The charged particle beam generator 22 is connected to the inspection chamber 21 to generate a charged particle beam 221 in the inspection chamber 21. The inspection container 10 is placed in the inspection chamber 21 to receive the bombardment of the charged particle beam 221. The detailed structure of the inspection container 10 has already been described above and will not be repeated here. The detector 23 detects a response 222 of the sample being bombarded by the charged particle beam 221, and converts it into an electronic signal. It can be understood that the electronic signal can form a microscopic image or X-ray spectrum after subsequent signal processing. For example, the detector 23 may be a charged particle detector to detect backscattered charged particles from the sample. Alternatively, the detector 23 may be an elemental spectrum detector to detect the X-ray signal emitted by the charged particle beam 221 after bombarding the sample. The other functional components of the electron microscope, such as the signal processor and the power supply, are well known to those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, and are not the main technical features of the present invention, so they will not be repeated here.

It should be further noted that the foregoing embodiment applies the film assembly 12 to the sealed inspection container 10. However, the thin film module of the present invention can also be used to seal a chamber containing a charged particle beam generator. For example, the chamber containing the charged particle beam generator has a locking structure similar to the main body of the inspection container, and the membrane assembly 12 is then fixed to the chamber with a structure similar to the lid of the inspection container to seal the chamber. According to this structure, the sample can be inspected in the open space.

In summary, the thin film assembly, inspection container and electron microscope of the present invention fix the thin film with a flat support. Therefore, after the thin film is damaged or dirty, the operator not only easily replaces the thin film assembly, but also produces less consumables . Preferably, the support can be recycled to further reduce consumables.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only to illustrate the technical ideas and features of the present invention, and its purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, but cannot limit the patent scope of the present invention, That is to say, any equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit disclosed by the present invention should still be covered by the patent scope of the present invention.

10‧‧‧ Inspection container

11‧‧‧Main

111‧‧‧Accommodation slot

12‧‧‧Thin film module

121‧‧‧Support

121a‧‧‧First surface

121b‧‧‧Second surface

121c‧‧‧First groove

13‧‧‧cover

131‧‧‧opening

14‧‧‧O-ring

Claims (22)

A film assembly includes: a support member having a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the support member is flat and has a first through hole that penetrates the first surface and the second surface Surface, the material of the support member is at least one of metal, metal compound, or polymer material; and a thin film, which is disposed on the second surface side of the support member and has a second through hole, wherein the The second through hole corresponds to the first through hole, and the second through hole can pass a charged particle beam. The thin film assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support member has a thinned area covering the first through hole to reduce the height of the side wall of the first through hole. The thin film assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the height of the side wall of the first through hole to the width of the first through hole is 0.7 or less. The film assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the support member has a second groove, the film is disposed in the second groove, and the depth of the second groove is less than the thickness of the film . The thin-film device according to claim 4, wherein the second groove has a circular shape, a square shape, or an endpoint having a circular shape. The thin film assembly according to claim 1, wherein the side wall of the second through hole has a step. The thin film assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second through hole is a round hole, a square hole or an elongated hole. An inspection container placed in an inspection chamber of an electron microscope to inspect a sample in the inspection container, wherein the inspection container includes: A main body, which has an accommodating groove for accommodating the sample; a thin film component, which covers an open end of the accommodating groove, wherein the thin film component includes: a support member, which has a first surface and an opposite one The second surface, wherein the support member is in the shape of a flat plate, and has a first through hole that penetrates the first surface and the second surface, and the material of the support member is at least one of metal, metal compound, or polymer material One, and the edge of the support member extends to the edge of the accommodating groove; and a film, which is disposed on the second surface side of the support member and has a second through hole, wherein the second through hole corresponds to In the first through hole, and the second through hole allows a charged particle beam to pass through; and a cover body, which is detachably combined with the main body, the cover body presses the edge of the support member to tightly and secure the The film assembly is on the main body. The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the support member has a thinned area covering the first through hole to reduce the height of the side wall of the first through hole. The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the ratio of the height of the side wall of the first through hole to the width of the first through hole is 0.7 or less. The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the second surface of the support member has a second groove, the film is disposed in the second groove, and the depth of the second groove is less than the thickness of the film . The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the side wall of the second through hole has a step. The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the lid body is rotated relative to the main body to lock with the main body. The inspection container according to claim 8, wherein the accommodating groove has a carrier, and the installation position thereof corresponds to the second through hole. The inspection container according to claim 14, wherein the accommodating tank has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and the distance between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and the film assembly is greater than the distance from the stage to the film assembly. The inspection container according to claim 14, wherein the carrier is detachably disposed in the accommodating groove. The inspection container according to claim 14, wherein the stage has an upright surface for the sample to stand against the upright surface. The inspection container according to claim 14, wherein the distance from the stage to the film assembly is adjustable. The inspection container according to claim 14, further comprising: a sample pad, which is detachably disposed on a top surface of the stage. The inspection container according to claim 14, wherein the stage has a temperature control flow channel for a temperature control fluid to flow in the temperature control flow channel. The inspection container according to claim 8 further includes a temperature control component, which is disposed outside the main body. An electron microscope includes: an inspection chamber that defines a vacuum environment; a charged particle beam generator connected to the inspection chamber for generating a charged particle beam in the inspection chamber; and an inspection container, It is placed in the inspection chamber to receive the bombardment of the charged particle beam, wherein the inspection container includes: a main body with an accommodating groove for accommodating a sample; and a thin film component covering one of the accommodating grooves Open end, where the membrane assembly contains: A support member has a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the support member is flat and has a first through hole, which penetrates the first surface and the second surface, the support member The material is at least one of a metal, a metal compound, or a polymer material, and the edge of the support extends to the edge of the receiving groove; and a thin film is disposed on the second surface side of the support, and Has a second through-hole, wherein the second through-hole corresponds to the first through-hole, and the second through-hole allows the charged particle beam to pass through to bombard the sample; and a cover body, which is detachably connected The main body is combined, the cover body presses the edge of the support to tightly fix the thin film assembly on the main body; and a detector for detecting a response of the sample bombarded by the charged particle beam, and Converted to an electronic signal.

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