Sample loading device, system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a sample loading device, system and method, and relates to the technical field of sample loading in XPS tests.A lifting mechanism and a plurality of clamping mechanisms are arranged, a lifting groove is formed in the top of a lifting component, a first flexible lifting pad is connected with the side wall of the lifting groove in a sealed mode so that a first lifting space can be formed in the lifting groove in an enclosing mode, and the first flexible lifting pad is clamped in the first lifting space; then a to-be-tested sample is placed on the top of the first flexible lifting pad, and when the first flexible lifting pad is in a first accommodating state, all the clamping mechanisms can stretch out towards the center direction of the sample carrying space, and the second flexible lifting pad is switched to a second bulging state; the second flexible lifting pad is matched with the first flexible lifting pad switched to the first bulging state to clamp the to-be-tested sample, so that the top surface of the to-be-tested sample is exposed out of the second flexible lifting pad, the to-be-tested sample can be clamped, and the universality of the sample loading device is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sample loading in XPS testing, and in particular to a sample loading device, system and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technology, as an important surface analysis technology, has been widely used in the fields of material science, chemistry, physics and other fields since its development in the 1960s. With the continuous progress of science and technology, XPS technology plays an increasingly important role in the research of surface modified materials, catalyst characterization, thin film analysis, corrosion research and other aspects. Modern XPS equipment has significantly improved in detection accuracy, analysis depth, spatial resolution and other aspects through continuous technological innovation, and has become an indispensable important tool in the field of surface analysis.

[0003] At present, the sample preparation and loading technology in the XPS testing process is relatively mature. When performing XPS analysis, the sample usually needs to be placed on a special sample stage, and the sample position is adjusted by moving the five-axis sample stage to ensure that the surface to be tested can be accurately aligned with the X-ray source and the detector of the electron spectrometer. The existing sample loading process generally includes sample pretreatment, sample cutting, sample fixing and position adjustment steps. Among them, the sample fixing link usually adopts mechanical clamping, adhesive fixing or embedded fixing, etc. to firmly fix the processed sample on the sample stage, so as to ensure the stability of the sample position during the test and fully expose the detection surface.

[0004] However, in the existing technology, when testing the sample to be tested, due to the different shapes of the sample to be tested, when clamping and fixing different shaped samples, a sample loading device corresponding to the shape of the sample to be tested is usually used to load and fix the sample to be tested. Although this method can realize the loading and fixing function of the sample to be tested, in the actual operation process, since the corresponding shape of the loading device needs to be replaced for different shapes of the sample to be tested, the loading device can only meet the clamping and loading function of a single shape of the sample to be tested, which affects the universality of the loading device. SUMMARY

[0005] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a sample loading device, system and method, which aims to solve the technical problem that the existing technology in the actual operation process needs to replace the corresponding shape of the loading device for different shapes of the sample to be tested, which makes the loading device only meet the clamping and loading function of a single shape of the sample to be tested, affecting the universality of the loading device.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, in a first aspect, the present application provides a sample loading device, comprising: a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprising a lifting component and a first flexible lifting pad, a top of the lifting component is formed with a lifting slot, the first flexible lifting pad is sealingly connected with a slot opening of the lifting slot to enclose a first lifting space, the first flexible lifting pad is switchable between a first storage state of being accommodated in the lifting slot and a first bulging state of protruding out of the lifting slot; and, a plurality of clamping mechanisms, all the clamping mechanisms are installed above the lifting component, all the clamping mechanisms are circumferentially spaced and distributed on an outer periphery of the first lifting space, and each of the clamping mechanisms comprises a clamping component and a second flexible lifting pad, a side of the clamping component facing the sample loading space is formed with a fitting surface, the second flexible lifting pad is sealingly connected with the clamping component to form a second lifting space with the fitting surface, all the second flexible lifting pads cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad to form a sample loading space for placing a sample to be tested, the second flexible lifting pad is switchable between a second storage state of being retracted and fitted on the fitting surface and a second bulging state of protruding out of the fitting surface and forming the second lifting space; when the first flexible lifting pad is in the first storage state and the sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad, all the clamping mechanisms can protrude towards a center direction of the sample loading space to make the second flexible lifting pad switch to the second bulging state, and cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad switched to the first bulging state to clamp the sample to be tested, and a top surface of the sample to be tested is exposed out of the second flexible lifting pad.

[0007] In an embodiment, the lifting component comprises: a first telescopic member, the first telescopic member is vertically telescopic; a lifting member, the lifting member is installed on a top of the first telescopic member, a top of the lifting member forms the lifting slot, a bottom of the lifting slot is formed with a first air hole penetrating through the lifting member in a vertical direction; and, a first air supply assembly, the first air supply assembly is installed on a bottom of the lifting member, the first air supply assembly is in communication with the first air hole through a pipeline, the first air supply assembly can supply gas into the first lifting space through the first air hole to make the first flexible lifting pad switch to the first bulging state, and the first air supply assembly can also suck out gas in the first lifting space through the first air hole to make the first flexible lifting pad switch from the first bulging state to the first storage state.

[0008] In an embodiment, the first air supply assembly comprises: a first gas tank, the first gas tank is installed on the bottom of the lifting member, a pipe opening of the first gas tank is arranged towards the first air hole, and the first gas tank stores gas; and, a first air pump mounted on the first air tank and in sealed communication with the first air hole through a pipeline; The first air pump can pump the gas stored in the first air tank out and into the first lifting space through the first air hole, so as to switch the first flexible lifting pad to the first inflated state. The first air pump can also suck the gas in the first lifting space back into the first air tank, so as to switch the first flexible lifting pad from the first inflated state to the first storage state and store it into the lifting groove.

[0009] In an embodiment, the thickness of the sample to be tested is A, and the height of the lifting groove is B, 0 < A ≤ 10 mm, and B ≤ A / 2.

[0010] In an embodiment, the clamping component comprises: a second telescopic member capable of telescoping in a first direction and having a telescopic end extending towards the center of the sample loading space; a clamping seat mounted on the telescopic end of the second telescopic member, the clamping seat being formed with a second air hole penetrating in the first direction, and the clamping seat being in sealed connection with the second flexible lifting pad; and a second air supply assembly mounted on the side of the clamping seat away from the sample loading space, the second air supply assembly being in communication with the second air hole through a pipeline, the second air supply assembly being capable of supplying gas into the second lifting space through the second air hole to switch the second flexible lifting pad to the second inflated state, and the second air supply assembly being also capable of sucking the gas in the second lifting space out through the second air hole to switch the second flexible lifting pad from the second inflated state to the second storage state.

[0011] In an embodiment, the second air supply assembly comprises: a second air tank mounted on the side of the clamping seat away from the sample loading space, a pipe opening of the second air tank being arranged towards the second air hole, and the second air tank storing gas therein; and a second air pump mounted on the second air tank and in sealed communication with the second air hole through a pipeline; The second air pump can pump the gas stored in the second air tank out and into the second lifting space through the second air hole, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad to the second inflated state. The second air pump can also suck the gas in the second lifting space back into the second air tank, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad from the second inflated state to the second storage state and adhere to the corresponding adhesion surface.

[0012] In one embodiment, the top surface of the clamping seat is lower than the top surface of the sample to be tested.

[0013] Based on the same technical concept, in a second aspect, the present invention further proposes a sample loading system, comprising: A base, the top of the base being formed with a plurality of installation slots spaced apart and distributed in an array; and Multiple sample loading devices as described in the first aspect, the number of the sample loading devices is consistent with the number of the mounting slots and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, the lifting mechanism is installed at the bottom of the mounting slot, and all the clamping mechanisms in the same sample loading device are installed on the side wall of the mounting slot.

[0014] In one embodiment, a plurality of third telescopic members are further included, and the plurality of third telescopic members are spaced apart and distributed in an array at the bottom of the base, and a ball head hinge is installed on the top of each of the third telescopic members, wherein at least one of the third telescopic members can be raised and lowered relative to the remaining third telescopic members and adjust the inclination angle of the base.

[0015] Based on the same technical concept, in a third aspect, the present invention further provides a sample loading method, using the sample loading system as described in the first aspect; The sample loading method comprises the following steps: Cutting the sample to prepare the sample to be tested; When the first flexible lifting pad is accommodated in the lifting groove, placing the sample to be tested on the first flexible lifting pad; According to the shape of the sample to be tested, all the clamping mechanisms of the same sample loading device are controlled to move and the corresponding second flexible lifting pad is switched to the second bulging state and the corresponding first flexible lifting pad is switched to the first bulging state to clamp and load the sample to be tested.

[0016] The technical scheme of the present application sets the lifting mechanism composed of the lifting component and the first flexible lifting pad and the plurality of clamping mechanisms composed of the clamping component and the second flexible lifting pad, forms the lifting groove on the top of the lifting component, seals and connects the first flexible lifting pad with the side wall of the lifting groove to enclose the first lifting space, then places the sample to be tested on the top of the first flexible lifting pad, and when the first flexible lifting pad is in the first accommodation state and the sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad, makes all the clamping mechanisms extend towards the center of the sample loading space and makes the second flexible lifting pad switch to the second bulging state, and clamps the sample to be tested in cooperation with the first flexible lifting pad switched to the first bulging state, and makes the top surface of the sample to be tested exposed to the second flexible lifting pad, so that the present application can form the adaptive clamping shape of the lifting mechanism and the clamping mechanism according to the shape of the sample to be tested and clamp the sample to be tested, and at the same time, through the deformation of the first flexible lifting pad and the second flexible lifting pad under the action of the gas, the sample loading device can form the clamping space adaptive to the shape of the sample to be tested and stably clamp the sample to be tested when clamping the sample to be tested of different shapes, so that the present application can clamp the sample to be tested without adjusting the sample loading device according to the shape of the sample, and the universality of the sample loading device is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor based on the drawings shown.

[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 2 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 1 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 3 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 1 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 4 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 1 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 5 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application; Figure 6 A perspective view of the structure of the sample loading device provided by the present application;

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals: 100, lifting mechanism; 110, lifting component; 120, first flexible lifting pad; 130, lifting groove; 140, first lifting space; 200, clamping mechanism; 210, sample loading space; 220, clamping component; 230, second flexible lifting pad; 111, first telescopic component; 112, lifting component; 113, first air hole; 114, first air supply assembly; 115, first air tank; 116, first air pump; 221, second telescopic component; 222, clamping seat; 223, second air hole; 224, second air supply assembly; 225, second air tank; 226, second air pump; 10, base; 20, sample loading device; 30, third telescopic component; 40, mounting groove; 50, ball joint; 240, second lifting space.

[0020] The objectives, functional characteristics and advantages of the present application will be further described with reference to the embodiments in combination with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in combination with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0022] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement condition, etc. between the components in a certain posture, and if the certain posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly.

[0023] In addition, if the embodiments of the present application involve descriptions of “first”, “second”, etc., the descriptions of “first”, “second”, etc. are only for description purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited by “first” and “second” can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, “and / or” or “and / or” appearing throughout the text means that the three parallel solutions are included, for example, “A and / or B” includes A solution, or B solution, or A and B solutions are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions of each embodiment can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that a person skilled in the art can realize it, and when the combination of technical solutions appears contradictory or unachievable, it should be considered that the combination of technical solutions does not exist, and is not within the protection scope required by the present application.

[0024] The applicant has found that in the prior art, different sample carriers need to be frequently replaced during X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy testing to adapt to the diversity of samples, resulting in low operation efficiency and limited equipment versatility. The traditional mechanical clamping method relies on rigid structures to fix the samples, making it difficult to achieve stable clamping of irregularly shaped samples, and displacement deviation may occur during testing, affecting the detection accuracy.

[0025] To solve the above problems, the researchers have found the adaptability advantage of flexible materials in contact deformation and tried to combine deformable flexible structures with rigid supports. By analyzing the stress distribution law during sample clamping, it is found that local flexible contact can effectively disperse clamping stress. Based on this, gas pressure is used to control the shape change of the flexible pad to build a dynamically adjustable clamping interface, thereby forming an adaptive sample carrier structure suitable for different shaped samples.

[0026] The present application provides a sample carrier device, system and method.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , in order to facilitate understanding, the sample carrier device 20 comprises: The lifting mechanism 100 comprises a lifting component 110 and a first flexible lifting pad 120. The top of the lifting component 110 is formed with a lifting groove 130. The first flexible lifting pad 120 is sealingly connected with the groove of the lifting groove 130 to form a first lifting space 140. The first flexible lifting pad 120 can be switched between a first storage state of being accommodated in the lifting groove 130 and a first bulging state of protruding out of the lifting groove 130; and A plurality of clamping mechanisms 200 are installed above the lifting component 110. All clamping mechanisms 200 are circumferentially spaced apart on the outer periphery of the first lifting space 140. Each clamping mechanism 200 comprises a clamping component 220 and a second flexible lifting pad 230. The side of the clamping component 220 facing the sample carrier space 210 is formed with a fitting surface. The second flexible lifting pad 230 is sealingly connected with the clamping component 220 to form a second lifting space 240 between the fitting surface. All second flexible lifting pads 230 cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad 120 to form a sample carrier space 210 for placing the sample to be tested. The second flexible lifting pad 230 can be switched between a second storage state of being retracted and fitted to the fitting surface and a second bulging state of protruding out of the fitting surface and forming the second lifting space 240; When the first flexible lifting pad 120 is in the first storage state and the sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad 120, all clamping mechanisms 200 can protrude towards the center of the sample carrier space 210 to make the second flexible lifting pad 230 switch to the second bulging state, and cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad 120 switched to the first bulging state to clamp the sample to be tested. The top surface of the sample to be tested is exposed to the second flexible lifting pad 230.

[0028] Specifically, the side wall of the lifting groove 130 is sealed and connected to the edge of the flexible material by hot melting or adhesive method to form an airtight connection with the rigid groove body, ensuring the directional expansion of the flexible pad when inflated. The first lifting space 140 refers to a closed cavity surrounded by rigid groove walls and flexible pads, and the shape of the flexible pad is controlled by changes in air pressure. The circumferentially spaced clamping mechanism 200 refers to the angular arrangement along the circular or regular polygon trajectory, ensuring uniform distribution of clamping force. The second lifting space 240 refers to the closed cavity formed by the surface of the clamping component 220 and the flexible pad, which expands towards the sample loading space 210 after inflation. The first flexible lifting pad 120 and the second flexible lifting pad 230 in the example are both made of materials with high sealing performance. The use of such materials ensures the sealing performance of the first lifting space and the second lifting space 240 during the implementation of the application, thereby improving the service life of the application during use. In this embodiment, it can be further specified that the first flexible lifting pad 120 and the second flexible lifting pad 230 in the example are preferably made of high-sealing materials such as polyurethane film material and polyethylene film material.

[0029] In the initial state, the flexible lifting pad is retracted in the lifting groove 130 to form a flat sample loading surface. After the sample is placed, the first lifting space 140 is inflated to make the flexible pad expand upwards and wrap the bottom surface of the sample, while the clamping mechanism 200 moves towards the center. The second lifting space 240 is inflated synchronously to make the flexible pad expand outward and form a three-dimensional wrapping clamping together with the expanded first flexible pad. The deformation characteristics of the flexible material enable it to automatically adapt to the sample profile, and the mechanical balance is formed between the expanded flexible pads, which realizes multi-directional fixation while keeping the top surface of the sample exposed.

[0030] The application realizes self-adaptive clamping of samples of any shape through the double-layer flexible structure controlled by air pressure without the need to replace the clamping components. The adhesive fixing method in the prior art can contaminate the sample surface, and the flexible clamping method of the present embodiment avoids physical contact with the detection area, ensuring the accuracy of the test data. Further, the application realizes universal clamping of samples of different shapes and eliminates the time loss of frequent replacement of carriers. The flexible clamping interface effectively reduces the local pressure and prevents the breakage of brittle samples. The inflatable clamping mechanism can quickly reset after the test is completed, improving the batch detection efficiency. The dynamically adjusted clamping force distribution ensures that the sample remains stable and positioned when tilted, meeting the testing requirements under complex working conditions.

[0031] In the embodiment, the lifting mechanism 100 composed of the lifting component 110 and the first flexible lifting pad 120 and the plurality of clamping mechanisms 200 composed of the clamping component 220 and the second flexible lifting pad 230 are arranged, the lifting groove 130 is formed on the top of the lifting component 110, the first flexible lifting pad 120 is sealingly connected with the sidewall of the lifting groove 130 to form the first lifting space 140, then the sample to be tested is placed on the top of the first flexible lifting pad 120, and when the first flexible lifting pad 120 is in the first storage state and the sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad 120, all the clamping mechanisms 200 can be extended towards the center of the sample loading space 210 and the second flexible lifting pad 230 is switched to the second bulging state, and cooperates with the first flexible lifting pad 120 switched to the first bulging state to clamp the sample to be tested, and the top surface of the sample to be tested is exposed to the second flexible lifting pad 230, so that the lifting mechanism 100 and the clamping mechanism 200 can form an adaptive clamping shape according to the shape of the sample to be tested and clamp the sample to be tested. At the same time, the first flexible lifting pad 120 and the second flexible lifting pad 230 are deformed under the action of the gas, so that the sample loading device 20 can form an adaptive clamping space and stably clamp the sample to be tested when clamping samples to be tested of different shapes, so that the sample to be tested can be clamped without adjusting the sample loading device 20 according to the shape of the sample, and the versatility of the sample loading device 20 is improved.

[0032] In an embodiment, the lifting component 110 comprises: a first telescopic part 111, the first telescopic part 111 can be telescoped vertically; a lifting part 112, the lifting part 112 is installed on the top of the first telescopic part 111, the top of the lifting part 112 forms the lifting groove 130, and the bottom of the lifting groove 130 is provided with the first gas hole 113 vertically penetrating through the lifting part 112; and a first gas supply assembly 114, the first gas supply assembly 114 is installed on the bottom of the lifting part 112, the first gas supply assembly 114 is communicated with the first gas hole 113 through a pipeline, the first gas supply assembly 114 can supply gas into the first lifting space 140 through the first gas hole 113 to switch the first flexible lifting pad 120 to the first bulging state, and the first gas supply assembly 114 can also suck out the gas in the first lifting space 140 through the first gas hole 113 to switch the first flexible lifting pad 120 from the first bulging state to the first storage state.

[0033] Specifically, the first telescopic part 111 refers to a mechanical device capable of adjusting the length in the vertical direction, which can be implemented by a hydraulic cylinder, an electric push rod or a pneumatic actuator, and is used to adjust the height of the lifting part 112 according to the thickness of the sample to be measured. The lifting part 112 refers to a rigid support structure carrying a flexible lifting pad, which can be formed by processing aluminum alloy or engineering plastic, and a lifting groove 130 is formed at the top of the lifting part 112 for accommodating the flexible lifting pad in a storage state. The first gas hole 113 refers to a gas passage through the bottom of the lifting part 112, which can be a circular through hole with a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm, and is used to establish a gas exchange path between the first gas supply assembly 114 and the lifting groove 130. The first gas supply assembly 114 refers to a device for controlling gas flow, which can be an integrated module including a gas pump and a gas tank, and the form switching of the flexible lifting pad is realized by the alternating operation of positive pressure gas supply and negative pressure suction.

[0034] When the sample to be measured needs to be fixed, the first telescopic part 111 first adjusts the lifting part 112 to a predetermined height, so that the opening plane of the lifting groove 130 is horizontally aligned with the clamping mechanism 200. Then the first gas supply assembly 114 starts the gas pump to pump the gas in the gas tank into the first gas hole 113 through the pipeline, so that the first flexible lifting pad 120 expands to form a bulging state under the action of gas pressure. At this time, the flexible lifting pad expands outward and cooperates with the second flexible lifting pad 230 of the clamping mechanism 200 to form a multi-point flexible clamping of the sample. After the test is completed, the gas pump is reversed to suck the gas, and the flexible lifting pad is contracted and reset to the lifting groove 130 under the action of negative pressure.

[0035] In this embodiment, the height adjustment in the vertical direction is realized by the first telescopic part 111, and the flexible lifting pad controlled by the pneumatic control is combined, which not only solves the poor adaptability of the traditional rigid lifting device to the sample thickness, but also avoids the damage to the surface of the sample caused by mechanical clamping. The single form lifting structure in the prior art is replaced by a dynamically adjustable air bag type flexible clamping mechanism, which significantly improves the compatibility of the device for different shaped samples.

[0036] In an embodiment, the first gas supply assembly 114 includes: a first gas tank 115, the first gas tank 115 being installed at the bottom of the lifting part 112, the pipe opening of the first gas tank 115 being arranged towards the first gas hole 113, and the first gas tank 115 storing gas therein; and a first gas pump 116, the first gas pump 116 being installed at the first gas tank 115, and the first gas pump 116 being in sealed communication with the first gas hole 113 through a pipeline; The first air pump 116 can pump the gas stored in the first air tank 115 out and into the first lifting space 140 through the first air hole 113, so that the first flexible lifting pad 120 switches to the first inflated state, and the first air pump 116 can also suck the gas in the first lifting space 140 back into the first air tank 115, so that the first flexible lifting pad 120 switches from the first inflated state to the first storage state and is stored in the lifting groove 130.

[0037] Specifically, the first air tank 115 refers to a closed container for storing gas, which can be realized by a pressure-resistant tank body made of metal or high polymer material, and the pipe opening is arranged in alignment with the first air hole 113, which can shorten the gas transmission path and reduce pressure loss. The first air pump 116 refers to a power device for driving gas flow, which can be realized by a piston or diaphragm air pump, and bidirectional flow of gas is realized by forward and reverse control. The first air hole 113 is a through hole penetrating through the top of the lifting piece 112, which can be formed by laser drilling or mechanical drilling process, and serves as a channel for gas to enter and exit the first lifting space 140.

[0038] When it is needed to clamp the sample to be measured, the first air pump 116 is operated in forward direction to pump the pre-stored gas in the first air tank 115 into the first lifting space 140 through the pipeline, and the gas pressure pushes the first flexible lifting pad 120 to expand outward to form an inflated state. When it is needed to release the sample, the first air pump 116 is operated in reverse direction to suck the gas in the first lifting space 140 back to the first air tank 115, and the flexible lifting pad shrinks under the action of negative pressure to recover to the storage state. The integrated design of the air tank and the air pump makes the gas circulate in a closed loop, avoiding external environmental interference.

[0039] In the embodiment, by setting the first air tank 115 and the first air pump 116, reversible circulation of the gas is realized, which not only reduces the frequency of gas supplement, but also controls the expansion and contraction amplitude of the flexible lifting pad. In addition, the air tank is directly installed at the bottom of the lifting piece 112, which shortens the gas transmission distance and improves the response speed of the action.

[0040] In an embodiment, the thickness of the sample to be measured is A, and the height of the lifting groove 130 is B, 0 < A ≤ 10 mm, and B ≤ A / 2.

[0041] Specifically, the thickness A of the sample to be measured refers to the maximum size of the sample in the vertical direction, which can be measured by a contact thickness gauge or an optical thickness gauge. This parameter is used to define the space occupation range of the sample in the sample loading device. The height B of the lifting groove 130 refers to the vertical distance from the bottom of the lifting groove 130 to the edge of the groove opening, which can be formed by machining a groove structure with a specific depth. This parameter is used to control the deformation space of the flexible lifting pad.

[0042] When the thickness of the sample to be measured is within the range of 0 to 10 mm, the height of the lifting groove 130 is set to be no more than half of the thickness of the sample. In this condition, the first flexible lifting pad 120 can be completely accommodated in the lifting groove 130 in the un-inflated state to provide a flat support surface for placing the sample; after the sample is placed, the first flexible lifting pad 120 is inflated to the first inflated state by inflating the first lifting space 140, and the height limitation of the lifting groove 130 can ensure that the deformation amount of the flexible material in the vertical direction matches the thickness of the sample, thereby avoiding the sample top surface being covered due to excessive inflation. At the same time, the second flexible lifting pad 230 of the clamping mechanism 200 forms a second inflated state after being inflated, which cooperates with the first flexible lifting pad 120 to clamp and fix the sample in the horizontal direction, while the top surface remains exposed to meet the detection requirements.

[0043] In the embodiment, by limiting the proportional relationship between the height of the lifting groove 130 and the thickness of the sample, a single sample loading device can be compatible with a variety of samples with a thickness of less than 10 mm, without the need to frequently replace the sample loading structure for different thicknesses.

[0044] In an embodiment, the clamping component 220 includes: a second telescopic member 221, the second telescopic member 221 is telescopic in the first direction and the telescopic end of the second telescopic member 221 extends towards the center of the sample loading space 210; a clamping seat 222, the clamping seat 222 is installed at the telescopic end of the second telescopic member 221, the clamping seat 222 is formed with a second air hole 223 penetrating in the first direction, and the clamping seat 222 is sealingly connected with the second flexible lifting pad 230; and a second gas supply assembly 224, the second gas supply assembly 224 is installed on the side of the clamping seat 222 away from the sample loading space 210, the second gas supply assembly 224 is in communication with the second air hole 223 through a pipeline, the second gas supply assembly 224 can supply gas into the second lifting space 240 through the second air hole 223 to switch the second flexible lifting pad 230 to the second inflated state, and the second gas supply assembly 224 can also suck out the gas in the second lifting space 240 through the second air hole 223 to switch the second flexible lifting pad 230 from the second inflated state to the second accommodation state.

[0045] Specifically, the second telescopic part 221 refers to a driving device capable of realizing horizontal displacement adjustment, which can be realized by using a pneumatic cylinder or an electric push rod, and functions to control the position of the clamping seat 222 relative to the sample loading space 210. The clamping seat 222 refers to a mounting base body carrying the second flexible lifting pad 230, which can be made of metal or engineering plastic, and the gas hole channel arranged inside can realize gas transmission function. The second gas supply assembly 224 refers to a power source for controlling the deformation of flexible material through gas pressure, which can be a combination structure of a micro gas pump and a gas storage tank, and functions to change the physical form of the flexible lifting pad through gas charging and discharging operation.

[0046] When the sample to be tested is placed in the lifting groove 130, the second telescopic part 221 drives the clamping seat 222 to move to a predetermined clamping position in the horizontal direction. At this time, the second gas supply assembly 224 injects gas into the second gas hole 223, so that the second flexible lifting pad 230 is separated from the fitting surface and forms a bulging state, and the covering surface formed by the bulging state can adapt to the edges of samples of different shapes. When it is necessary to release the sample, the second gas supply assembly 224 reversely extracts the gas, and the flexible lifting pad returns to the fitting state, at which time the second telescopic part 221 can drive the clamping seat 222 to retreat to the initial position. Through the synergistic effect of mechanical displacement and pneumatic deformation, the structure realizes the self-adaptive adjustment of clamping force and contact area.

[0047] In the embodiment, through the cooperation of the telescopic clamping seat 222 and the pneumatic flexible pad, multiple clamping mechanisms 200 on the same sample loading device can be cooperated to realize clamping together to adapt to the clamping needs of various special-shaped samples, and the operation process of frequent replacement of clamps is avoided. Compared with pure mechanical clamping, the pneumatic control mode can provide more uniform contact pressure distribution and reduce the risk of damage to the surface of the sample.

[0048] In an embodiment, the second gas supply assembly 224 includes: a second gas tank 225, the second gas tank 225 being installed on the side of the clamping seat 222 away from the sample loading space 210, the pipe opening of the second gas tank 225 being arranged towards the second gas hole 223, and the second gas tank 225 storing gas therein; and a second gas pump 226, the second gas pump 226 being installed on the second gas tank 225, and the second gas pump 226 being in sealed communication with the second gas hole 223 through a pipeline; The second gas pump 226 can pump out the gas stored in the second gas tank 225 and pump it into the second lifting space 240 through the second gas hole 223, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad 230 to the second bulging state. The second gas pump 226 can also suck the gas in the second lifting space 240 back into the second gas tank 225, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad 230 from the second bulging state to the second accommodation state and adhere to the corresponding fitting surface.

[0049] Specifically, the second gas tank 225 refers to a closed container for storing compressed gas, which can be realized by an aluminum alloy material welded into a gas tank. The pipe opening of the second gas tank 225 is coaxially arranged with the second gas hole 223 to ensure the linearity of the gas conveying path. The second gas pump 226 refers to a power device for realizing directional flow of gas, which can be realized by a micro diaphragm gas pump. The bidirectional working mode of the second gas pump 226 can control the change of the gas pressure of the second lifting space 240. The second gas hole 223 refers to a gas passage through the clamping seat 222, which can be realized by a circular hole structure with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 mm. The size design needs to balance the gas flow rate and the structural strength.

[0050] When it is necessary to clamp the sample to be measured, the second gas pump 226 starts the forward working mode, and the compressed gas stored in the second gas tank 225 is continuously pumped into the second lifting space 240 through the second gas hole 223. As the gas pressure rises, the second flexible lifting pad 230 gradually expands away from the contact surface and forms an outwardly convex bulging state. When it is necessary to release the sample, the second gas pump 226 switches to the reverse working mode, and the gas in the second lifting space 240 is pumped back to the second gas tank 225, so that the second flexible lifting pad 230 shrinks and resets to the contact surface under the action of negative pressure. This process realizes the flexible pad mode switching through the bidirectional working mode of the single second gas pump 226, without the need for additional mechanical driving mechanism.

[0051] In this embodiment, the flexible pad mode change is driven by the gas pump, so that the same clamping mechanism 200 can adapt to sample surfaces with different curvatures and different shapes. In the prior art, the gas path system usually uses multiple valves to control the gas flow direction, while the present scheme directly realizes gas circulation through the bidirectional second gas pump 226, simplifying the pipeline layout and reducing the control complexity.

[0052] In an embodiment, the top surface of the clamping seat 222 is lower than the top surface of the sample to be measured.

[0053] Specifically, when the clamping mechanism 200 moves towards the center of the sample loading space 210, the second telescopic member 221 pushes the clamping seat 222 close to the sample to be measured, at this time the second flexible lifting pad 230 is in the second bulging state and contacts the sample sidewall. Since the top surface of the clamping seat 222 is lower than the top surface of the sample, the top area of the sample is completely exposed above the clamping seat 222 after clamping, avoiding physical interference of the clamping seat 222 structure to the light path or detection angle of the detection equipment. For example, in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy testing, the top surface of the sample needs to be directly exposed between the X-ray source and the electron collector. The sinking design of the clamping seat 222 makes the sample surface unobstructed, ensuring that the detection signal collection is not affected.

[0054] In the embodiment, the same clamping mechanism 200 can be adapted to samples with different thicknesses by sinking the top surface of the fixed clamping seat 222, without the need to replace components due to differences in sample height, simplifying the operation process.

[0055] Based on the same technical concept, in a second aspect, the present application also provides a sample loading system, comprising: a base 10, the top of the base 10 being formed with a plurality of spaced and arrayed mounting grooves 40; and a plurality of sample loading devices 20 according to the first aspect, the number of sample loading devices 20 being consistent with and one-to-one corresponding to the number of mounting grooves 40, the lifting mechanism 100 being mounted at the groove bottom of the mounting groove 40, and all clamping mechanisms 200 in the same sample loading device 20 being mounted at the sidewall of the mounting groove 40.

[0056] Specifically, the base 10 is a basic structure for carrying a plurality of sample loading devices 20, which can be made of metal or composite material, and the mounting grooves 40 on the top thereof are distributed in an array form, such as a rectangular or circular array, for fixing the positions of the lifting mechanism 100 and the clamping mechanism 200. The lifting mechanism 100 is mounted at the groove bottom of the mounting groove 40 and fixed by mechanical connection or buckling to ensure the stability of the lifting action. The clamping mechanism 200 is mounted at the sidewall of the mounting groove 40 and moves radially, such as through a sliding guide or a hinge structure, to form a sample loading space 210 in cooperation with the lifting mechanism 100.

[0057] The mounting grooves 40 on the top of the base 10 are distributed in a spaced and arrayed form, such as with a spacing of 10-50 mm between each mounting groove 40, and the number of rows and columns of the array can be adjusted according to actual needs. An independent sample loading device 20 is arranged in each mounting groove 40, the lifting mechanism 100 is embedded at the bottom of the mounting groove 40 and lifted by pneumatic or electric drive. The clamping mechanism 200 is distributed on the sidewall of the mounting groove 40, such as 3-6 clamping mechanisms 200 being arranged on each sidewall of each mounting groove 40 and uniformly arranged circumferentially. When the sample to be tested is placed in the lifting groove 130, the clamping mechanism 200 moves radially towards the center of the sample loading space 210, and the second flexible lifting pad 230 switches to the inflated state to clamp the sample together with the first flexible lifting pad 120. The third telescopic member 30 at the bottom of the base 10 can be independently adjusted in height, such as being driven by a hydraulic cylinder or a stepper motor, to change the inclination angle of the base 10 by adjusting the telescopic amount at different positions, thereby ensuring the alignment of the sample surface with the detection equipment.

[0058] In the embodiment, the arrayed mounting grooves 40 integrate a plurality of independent sample loading devices 20, allowing different shapes of samples to be processed simultaneously without the need to replace the clamps. The inclination adjustment function of the base 10 further solves the problem of alignment of the sample surface with the detection equipment, while the sample stage in the prior art usually only supports planar movement and cannot be adjusted in angle.

[0059] In an embodiment, a plurality of third telescopic members 30 are further included, which are spaced and arrayed on the bottom of the base 10, and a ball head hinge member 50 is mounted on the top of each third telescopic member 30, wherein at least one third telescopic member 30 can be lifted and adjusted relative to the remaining third telescopic members 30 to adjust the inclination angle of the base 10.

[0060] Specifically, the third telescopic member 30 refers to a driving device capable of adjusting the length in the vertical direction, which can be implemented by a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder or an electric push rod, and its lifting action is driven by an external control signal, which is used to change the local height of the base 10. The ball head hinge member 50 refers to a joint component with a spherical connection structure at the top, which can be implemented by a universal joint structure with a ball socket, which can maintain contact with the base 10 during the lifting of the third telescopic member 30 and allow the base 10 to have angular deviation.

[0061] When it is necessary to adjust the inclination angle of the base 10, at least one third telescopic member 30 changes the support height of the corresponding mounting point by independent lifting, and the remaining third telescopic members 30 remain fixed or move synchronously in the opposite direction. The ball head hinge member 50 compensates for the displacement deviation through spherical contact during the inclination of the base 10, avoiding the jam caused by rigid connection. For example, when the test equipment needs to form a specific angle between the surface of the sample to be tested and the X-ray incident direction, the base 10 can be inclined around any axis by controlling the lifting of the third telescopic members 30 at different positions, thereby adjusting the spatial posture of the sample in the sample loading space 210.

[0062] In some specific embodiments, the array distribution of the third telescopic members 30 can be arranged as four groups at the four corner regions of the bottom of the base 10, and each group of third telescopic members 30 adjusts the height difference by independent control. The diameter of the ball head of the ball head hinge member 50 can be slightly smaller than the hole diameter of the mounting hole of the base 10 to provide a small gap to adapt to the position change during the inclination.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the active lifting of the third telescopic member 30 and the cooperation of the ball head hinge member 50 enable the base 10 itself to have multi-angle adjustment capability. The sample posture adjustment in the prior art relies on external motion mechanisms, while the present scheme integrates the adjustment function inside the sample loading system, reducing the dependence on the motion range of the five-axis table. Further, the present embodiment can directly adjust the inclination angle of the base 10 without moving the sample table, so that the surface of the sample to be tested can be quickly aligned with the optical path or detection direction of the test equipment. This avoids the accumulation of positioning errors caused by frequent movement of the sample table, and at the same time, the inclination deviation of the surface of the sample caused by cutting or fixing is compensated by the angular fine adjustment of the base 10, thereby improving the stability and repeatability of the test data.

[0064] Based on the same technical concept, in a third aspect, the present application further provides a sample loading method using the sample loading system according to the first aspect. The sample loading method comprises the following steps: S100, performing a cutting operation on a sample to produce a sample to be tested; S200, placing the sample to be tested on the first flexible lifting pad under the condition that the first flexible lifting pad is accommodated in the lifting groove; S300, according to the shape of the sample to be tested, controlling the movement of all the clamping mechanisms of the same sample loading device and switching the corresponding second flexible lifting pad to the second inflated state and the corresponding first flexible lifting pad to the first inflated state to clamp and load the sample to be tested.

[0065] Specifically, during the loading process, the sample is first processed into a regular shape by a cutting device, and then the sample to be tested is placed in the lifting groove in the accommodation state. At this time, the first flexible lifting pad is attached to the groove wall, and the second flexible lifting pad is attached to the surface of the clamping part. According to the contour characteristics of the sample, the telescopic part of the clamping mechanism is controlled to move towards the center of the loading space, and at the same time, gas is filled into the first lifting space and the second lifting space to make the flexible material expand to form a clamping surface. The first flexible lifting pad after expansion lifts the sample upward from the groove, and the second flexible lifting pad applies pressure from the side, and the two work together to achieve three-dimensional fixation. During this process, the top surface of the sample is always exposed above the clamping mechanism, ensuring that the detection instrument can directly contact the surface to be tested. After the test is completed, the flexible material is restored to a flat state by air extraction, and the clamping mechanism is reset to remove the sample.

[0066] In this embodiment, through the cooperation of the deformable flexible material and the multidirectional adjustment mechanism, the self-adaptive clamping of a single device to different shaped samples is realized. In the prior art, the mechanical clamping device needs to match the sample size, while in this scheme, the expansion amount of the flexible lifting pad can be controlled by air pressure, which can automatically fill the gap between the sample and the clamp.

[0067] Furthermore, the present application solves the technical problem of insufficient versatility of the sample loading device and realizes compatible loading of samples of multiple shapes. The deformation characteristics of the flexible lifting pad cooperate with the adjustable clamping mechanism, so that the device can adapt to the fixing needs of cubic, cylindrical and irregularly shaped samples. The inflatable clamping method ensures the stability of fixation while avoiding surface damage caused by mechanical clamping. The complete exposure design of the top surface of the sample ensures that the detection area is obstacle-free, improving the test accuracy of surface analysis techniques such as XPS. The entire loading process does not require replacement of the clamp, simplifying the operation process and significantly improving the detection efficiency.

[0068] The above merely illustrates the embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structural transformation, direct / indirect application in other related technical fields, or the like, within the technical concept of the present application, and based on the content of the present application and the accompanying drawings, are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sample loading device, characterized by, The device comprises: a lifting mechanism, which comprises a lifting component and a first flexible lifting pad, a top of the lifting component is formed with a lifting groove, the first flexible lifting pad is sealingly connected with a groove opening of the lifting groove to enclose a first lifting space, the first flexible lifting pad is switchable between a first storage state of being accommodated in the lifting groove and a first bulging state of protruding out of the lifting groove; and a plurality of clamping mechanisms, all of which are installed above the lifting component, all of which are circumferentially spaced and distributed on an outer periphery of the first lifting space, and each of which comprises a clamping component and a second flexible lifting pad, a side of the clamping component facing the sample loading space is formed with a fitting surface, the second flexible lifting pad is sealingly connected with the clamping component to form a second lifting space with the fitting surface, all of the second flexible lifting pads cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad to form a sample loading space for placing a sample to be tested, the second flexible lifting pad is switchable between a second storage state of being retracted and fitted on the fitting surface and a second bulging state of protruding out of the fitting surface and forming the second lifting space; when the first flexible lifting pad is in the first storage state and the sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad, all of the clamping mechanisms can protrude towards the center of the sample loading space to make the second flexible lifting pad switch to the second bulging state, and cooperate with the first flexible lifting pad switched to the first bulging state to clamp the sample to be tested, and a top surface of the sample to be tested is exposed outside the second flexible lifting pad.

2. The sample loading device of claim 1, wherein, The lifting component comprises: a first telescopic component, which is vertically telescopic; a lifting component, which is installed on a top of the first telescopic component, a top of the lifting component forms the lifting groove, a groove bottom of the lifting groove is formed with a first air hole penetrating through the lifting component in a vertical direction; and a first air supply assembly, which is installed on a bottom of the lifting component, the first air supply assembly is in communication with the first air hole through a pipeline, the first air supply assembly can supply gas into the first lifting space through the first air hole to make the first flexible lifting pad switch to the first bulging state, and the first air supply assembly can also suck out the gas in the first lifting space through the first air hole to make the first flexible lifting pad switch from the first bulging state to the first storage state.

3. The sample loading device of claim 2, wherein, The first air supply assembly comprises: a first gas tank, which is installed on the bottom of the lifting component, a pipe opening of the first gas tank is arranged towards the first air hole, and the first gas tank stores gas; and a first air pump, which is installed on the first gas tank, and the first air pump is sealingly communicated with the first air hole through a pipeline; The first air pump can pump the gas stored in the first air tank out and into the first lifting space through the first air hole, so as to switch the first flexible lifting pad to the first inflated state, and the first air pump can also suck the gas in the first lifting space back into the first air tank, so as to switch the first flexible lifting pad from the first inflated state to the first storage state and store it in the lifting groove.

4. The sample loading device of claim 3, wherein The thickness of the sample to be tested is A, and the height of the lifting groove is B, 0 < A ≤ 10 mm, and B ≤ A / 2.

5. The sample loading device according to claim 4, wherein: The clamping component comprises: A second telescopic member which can be telescoped in a first direction and whose telescopic end extends towards the center of the sample loading space; A clamping seat installed at the telescopic end of the second telescopic member, the clamping seat being provided with a second air hole penetrating in the first direction, and the clamping seat being in sealed connection with the second flexible lifting pad; and A second air supply assembly installed on the side of the clamping seat away from the sample loading space, the second air supply assembly being in communication with the second air hole through a pipeline, the second air supply assembly being capable of supplying gas into the second lifting space through the second air hole to switch the second flexible lifting pad to the second inflated state, and the second air supply assembly also being capable of sucking out the gas in the second lifting space through the second air hole to switch the second flexible lifting pad from the second inflated state to the second storage state.

6. The sample loading device according to claim 5, wherein: The second air supply assembly comprises: A second air tank installed on the side of the clamping seat away from the sample loading space, a pipe opening of the second air tank being arranged towards the second air hole, and the second air tank storing gas; and A second air pump installed on the second air tank and in sealed communication with the second air hole through a pipeline; The second air pump can pump the gas stored in the second air tank out and into the second lifting space through the second air hole, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad to the second inflated state, and the second air pump can also suck the gas in the second lifting space back into the second air tank, so as to switch the second flexible lifting pad from the second inflated state to the second storage state and fit on the corresponding fitting surface.

7. The sample loading device according to claim 5, wherein: The top surface of the clamping seat is lower than the top surface of the sample to be tested.

8. A sample loading system characterized by, It comprises: A base having a plurality of mounting grooves arranged at intervals and in an array on the top thereof; And A plurality of sample loading devices as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, the number of the sample loading devices being consistent with the number of the mounting grooves and being arranged one by one, the lifting mechanism being installed at the groove bottom of the mounting groove, and all the clamping mechanisms in the same sample loading device being installed on the side wall of the mounting groove.

9. The sample loading system of claim 8, wherein, A plurality of third telescopic members are also included, the plurality of third telescopic members being arranged at intervals and in an array on the bottom of the base, and a ball head articulating member being installed on the top of each third telescopic member, wherein at least one third telescopic member can be lifted relative to the remaining third telescopic members to adjust the inclination angle of the base.

10. A sample loading method, characterized by, A sample loading system as claimed in any one of claims 8 or 9 is applied; The sample loading method comprises the following steps: A cutting operation is performed on a sample to produce a sample to be tested; The sample to be tested is placed on the first flexible lifting pad with the first flexible lifting pad accommodated in the lifting groove; According to the shape of the sample to be tested, all the clamping mechanisms of the same sample loading device are controlled to move and the corresponding second flexible lifting pad is switched to the second bulging state and the corresponding first flexible lifting pad is switched to the first bulging state to clamp and load the sample to be tested.

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