Transmission optical cryogenic probe station

Abstract

The application provides a transmission type optical cryogenic probe station, which mainly comprises a vacuum cavity and a detection frame, the vacuum cavity is provided with a flange opening for light transmission; the detection frame is mainly designed by embedding a bearing and a sample supporting plate, the sample supporting plate is controlled by a motor to rotate by any number of turns, and a sample groove is designed in the form of a through hole to ensure that light can pass through the sample groove. The application realizes transmission type optical detection, when the detection sample needs to be replaced during the detection process, the detection sample can be replaced by only controlling the sample supporting plate to rotate, without manually changing the probe position, without re-performing the complicated processes of rewarming, back pressure, vacuumizing and cooling, thereby greatly reducing the complexity of the detection process and shortening the detection time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of probe station technology, and specifically provides a transmission optical cryogenic constant temperature probe station. Background Technology

[0002] Probe stations are primarily used in industries such as semiconductors, biological protein detection, and high-precision electrical measurements on chips. As these industries evolve, the types of devices being tested are increasing, and the requirements are becoming more complex, leading to higher demands on the functionality and requirements of probe stations. Currently, government laboratories, industrial institutions, and universities worldwide require cryogenic probe stations. However, all cryogenic probe stations on the domestic market are imported and expensive. Furthermore, most current cryogenic probe stations use a horizontal sample placement method, which makes them unsuitable for applications requiring transmissive detection, such as pump-probe experiments, detection of transparent semiconductor materials, detection of solution-based biological proteins, and detection of transparent metal thin films. In addition, changing the probe material in existing cryogenic probe stations requires a complex process involving rewarming, repressurization, vacuuming, and cooling to replace the sample.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cryogenic constant-temperature probe station that allows for easy sample replacement and meets the requirements of transmission-type detection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a transmission-type optical cryogenic constant-temperature probe stage. The stage features a rotatable sample tray, a through-hole sample slot, and symmetrical flanges on the side of the vacuum chamber. Probe light can pass through the flanges and sample slots to perform transmission-type optical detection of the sample. After one sample has been detected, rotating the sample tray allows switching to detect different samples.

[0005] The present invention provides a transmission-type optical cryogenic constant temperature probe stage, comprising: a vacuum cavity and a probe frame;

[0006] The vacuum chamber has symmetrical flange openings on its sides, which are sealed with light-transmitting material and used for light transmission.

[0007] The probe frame includes a liquid nitrogen circulation chamber, a cargo tray, a motor, heat-conducting plates, bearings, a ball-head probe, and an electronically controlled servo platform.

[0008] The liquid nitrogen circulation chamber is connected to the bearing and is used to store liquid nitrogen and conduct heat to the bearing.

[0009] The sample tray is fixed inside the bearing. At least two sample slots are evenly arranged on the front of the sample tray, and light can pass through the sample slots. At least four probe holes are arranged near each sample slot. A heat-conducting sheet is attached to the back of the sample tray, which evenly conducts the heat of the bearing to the sample tray. The center of the back of the sample tray is connected to a motor, which is used to control the rotation of the sample tray.

[0010] The ball probe is connected to an electronically controlled servo platform, which is used to control the ball probe to move into or out of the probe hole.

[0011] Preferably, the vacuum chamber has the functions of temperature measurement, temperature adjustment and vacuuming.

[0012] Preferably, the vacuum chamber supplies power to the probe frame via a vacuum cable connector.

[0013] Preferably, the number of probe holes is 4, which are respectively connected to the positive electrode, negative electrode, gate electrode and drain electrode of the sample cell through gold wires.

[0014] Preferably, the heat-conducting plate is made of copper.

[0015] Preferably, the sample slot is a stepped through hole, that is, the opening on the front of the sample tray is large, and the opening on the back of the sample tray is small.

[0016] Preferably, the bearing is a ball bearing, the outer ring of the bearing is fixed to the liquid nitrogen circulation chamber, the inner ring of the bearing is connected to the load plate, and the inner ring of the bearing is rotatable.

[0017] Preferably, the center of the back of the cargo tray is connected to the motor via a vertical bevel gear set, which includes two meshing bevel gears used to change the transmission direction of the motor output shaft.

[0018] Preferably, the electronically controlled servo platform is also connected to a thermocouple, which is used to measure the temperature of the sample slot during the sample detection process.

[0019] Preferably, both the electronically controlled servo platform and the motor are connected to an external computer in the vacuum chamber via vacuum cables. The computer controls the electronically controlled servo platform to drive the ball probe to move, and the computer controls the motor to rotate any number of revolutions.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This invention realizes transmission optical detection. When it is necessary to change the detection sample during the detection process, it is only necessary to control the rotation of the carrier plate to change the detection sample. There is no need to manually change the probe position, and there is no need to repeat the complicated process of reheating, repressurization, vacuuming, and cooling. This greatly reduces the complexity of the detection process and shortens the detection time. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is an external view of the transmission optical cryogenic constant temperature probe stage provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a front structural view of the detector frame provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a rear structural diagram of the detector frame provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The reference numerals in the figures include:

[0026] Vacuum chamber 1, flange 11, liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2, loading tray 3, sample tank 31, probe hole 32, bearing 4, electronically controlled servo platform 5, ball probe 6, thermocouple 7, motor 8, vertical bevel gear set 9, heat-conducting plate 10. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description below, the same modules are denoted by the same reference numerals. Where the same reference numerals are used, their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, their detailed description will not be repeated.

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0029] Figure 1 The external structure of the transmission optical cryogenic probe stage provided according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 The front structure of the probe frame provided according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 3 The rear structure of the probe frame provided according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the transmission optical low-temperature constant temperature probe station provided in this embodiment of the invention mainly consists of a vacuum chamber 1 and a probe frame. The probe frame is set inside the vacuum chamber 1. The vacuum chamber 1 is a sealed box with functions such as temperature measurement, temperature adjustment and vacuuming. Two symmetrical flange openings 11 are opened on the side of the vacuum chamber 1. The flange openings 11 are sealed with light-transmitting material. The light-transmitting material is usually light-transmitting glass, which can be adjusted according to the wavelength of the light source. Materials such as quartz, K9, calcium fluoride, sapphire, and diamond can be used.

[0033] During transmission optical detection, the light emitted by the light source can enter the interior through the flange port 11 on one side to detect the sample, and then exit through the flange port 11 on the other side, and then enter the analyzer to perform low-temperature photoelectric detection on the sample.

[0034] Vacuum cables inside and outside vacuum chamber 1 are connected by vacuum cable connectors and supply power to the probe frame.

[0035] The detection frame mainly includes: liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2, cargo tray 3, bearing 4, electronically controlled servo platform 5, ball probe 6, thermocouple 7, motor 8, vertical bevel gear set 9, and heat-conducting plate 10.

[0036] The liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2 is connected to the bearing 4 via a connecting shaft. The liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2 contains liquid nitrogen, which can conduct heat to the bearing 4.

[0037] Bearing 4 is a ball bearing, including an outer ring, an inner ring and balls. The outer ring of bearing 4 is fixed to the liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2 and cannot rotate. The inner ring of bearing 4 is connected to the load plate 3 and can rotate with the load plate 3.

[0038] Five sample slots 31 are evenly arranged on the front side of the sample tray 3. Each sample slot 31 has a stepped through-hole design, meaning the opening of the sample slot 31 on the front side of the sample tray 3 is larger than the opening on the back side. Light can pass through the sample slots 31, ensuring that samples placed in the slots will not fall off the back side of the sample tray 3. When the sample tray 3 is rotated so that a sample slot 31 aligns with the flange opening 11, this position is designated as the detection position, and the sample placed in that slot 31 is then detected. Four probe holes 32 are located near each sample slot 31. Each probe hole 32 is a hemispherical recess used by a ball-head probe 6 to detect the sample. The four probe holes 32 correspond to the positive, negative, gate, and drain electrodes of the sample slot 31, respectively. The sample slots 31 and probe holes 32 are connected by gold wires. Four ball-shaped probes 6 are mounted on electrically controlled servo platforms 5 on both sides of the sample carrier plate 3. The servo platforms 5 can be configured as one or two. Each servo platform 5 is connected to a computer outside the vacuum chamber 1 via a vacuum cable. The computer controls the servo platforms 5 to move the ball-shaped probes 6, allowing them to move into or out of the probe holes 32. Furthermore, each servo platform 5 is equipped with a thermocouple 7, which is used to measure the temperature near the sample slot 31 at the detection position during sample detection.

[0039] A heat-conducting plate 10 is tightly attached to the back of the carrying tray 3. The heat-conducting plate 10 is made of copper. The copper plate evenly conducts the heat transferred from the liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2 to the bearing 4 onto the carrying tray 3. The center of the back of the carrying tray 3 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 8. The motor 8 is connected to a computer outside the vacuum chamber 1 via a vacuum cable. The computer can control the motor 8 to drive the carrying tray 3 to rotate any number of revolutions. To improve space utilization, the output shaft of the motor 8 is arranged horizontally and connected to the carrying tray 3 via a vertical bevel gear set 9. The vertical bevel gear set 9 includes two meshing bevel gears, which can change the transmission direction of the output shaft of the motor 8. In addition, as a preferred embodiment, a controllable heating plate can be connected to the edge of the copper plate to heat the copper plate and achieve small-scale temperature control.

[0040] The working process of the transmission-type optical cryogenic probe station is briefly described below:

[0041] When using a transmission-type optical cryogenic probe stage in low-temperature photoelectric experiments, multiple samples are placed into different sample slots 31, and the positive, negative, gate, and drain electrodes of the samples are connected to the gold wire strips pre-embedded in the sample slots 31. After the samples are loaded, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated. When the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches 10... -2 ~10 -3At MPa, liquid nitrogen is added to the liquid nitrogen circulation chamber 2. The liquid nitrogen will uniformly heat the sample carrier plate 3 through the bearing 4 and the heat-conducting plate 10. When the temperature reaches the required temperature for the experiment, the light source and analyzer are turned on to perform low-temperature photoelectric detection on the sample at the detection position. The light emitted by the light source can be irradiated onto the sample through the flange port 11 on one side for detection, and then emitted through the flange port 11 on the other side to enter the analyzer for analysis. During this process, the heat-conducting plate 10 can also be heated by the heating plate to regulate the temperature. When a sample test is completed and a new sample needs to be tested, the device of the present invention does not need to go through a series of complicated processes such as reheating, gas filling, sample replacement, vacuuming, and cooling of the system. It only needs to first move the ball-head probe 6 out of the probe hole 32 by the computer-controlled electronic servo platform 5, and then drive the sample carrier plate 3 to rotate at a certain angle by the computer-controlled motor 8, so that the next sample to be detected can be moved to the detection position, and a new round of detection can be performed.

[0042] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmission optical cryogenic probe station, characterized by, The utility model relates to a vacuum cavity and a detection frame. The vacuum cavity is provided with symmetrical flange openings on the side, which are sealed with light-transmitting materials and used for light transmission. The detection frame comprises a liquid nitrogen circulation cavity, a sample support plate, a motor, a heat-conducting sheet, a bearing, a ball head probe and an electrically-controlled servo platform. The liquid nitrogen circulation cavity is connected with the bearing and used for storing liquid nitrogen and conducting heat to the bearing. The sample support plate is fixed inside the bearing, and the front surface of the sample support plate is uniformly provided with at least two sample grooves, which are through holes and through which light can pass. The back surface of the sample support plate is attached with the heat-conducting sheet, which uniformly conducts the heat of the bearing to the sample support plate. The back surface center of the sample support plate is connected with the motor, which is used to control the rotation of the sample support plate.

2. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The ball head probe is connected with the electrically-controlled servo platform, which is used to control the ball head probe to move in or out of the probe hole.

3. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The vacuum cavity has the functions of temperature measurement, temperature adjustment and vacuum pumping.

4. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The vacuum cavity is connected with the detection frame through a vacuum cable connector to supply power.

5. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The number of probe holes is four, which are connected with the anode, cathode, gate and drain of the sample groove through gold wires.

6. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The heat-conducting sheet is made of red copper disc.

7. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The sample groove is a stepped through hole, i.e., the opening on the front surface of the sample support plate is large, and the opening on the back surface of the sample support plate is small.

8. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The bearing is a ball bearing, the outer ring of which is fixed with the liquid nitrogen circulation cavity, and the inner ring of which is connected with the sample support plate and can rotate.

9. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 8, wherein, The back surface center of the sample support plate is connected with the motor through a vertical bevel gear set, which comprises two intermeshing bevel gears and is used to change the transmission direction of the motor output shaft.

10. The transmissive optical cryostat probe station of claim 1, wherein, The electrically-controlled servo platform is also connected with a thermocouple, which is used to measure the temperature of the sample groove position during sample detection. The electrically-controlled servo platform and the motor are connected with an external computer of the vacuum cavity through a vacuum cable, the computer controls the electrically-controlled servo platform to drive the ball head probe to move, and controls the motor to rotate by any number of turns.

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