Sample stage of scanning electron microscope and scanning electron microscope

Abstract

The utility model discloses a sample stage of a scanning electron microscope and the scanning electron microscope. The sample table of the scanning electron microscope comprises a base, a rotating assembly and a plurality of sample bearing interlayers, the rotating assembly is connected with the base, the sample bearing interlayers are connected with the base through the rotating assembly, the rotating assembly drives the sample bearing interlayers to rotate, and the included angle between the sample bearing interlayers and the horizontal direction is adjustable. By adopting the sample table of the scanning electron microscope, the continuous multi-angle observation of the section of the sample can be conveniently realized, and the detection efficiency and the imaging effect of the scanning electron microscope can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of detection technology, and in particular relates to a sample stage of a scanning electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Background Art

[0002] The scanning electron microscope is an important detection equipment for studying the microscopic morphology of materials. Its principle is that the electron beam is emitted through the electron gun of the scanning electron microscope. The electron beam is accelerated and incident on the sample surface, where it undergoes multiple interactions with the nuclei or extranuclear electrons of the sample elements and is scattered, causing the electron beam movement direction or energy (or both) to change, thereby generating various signals reflecting the characteristics of the sample. These signals are collected, amplified, and re-imaged to achieve the purpose of characterizing the microscopic morphology of the material.

[0003] At present, scanning electron microscopes are widely used in surface and cross-sectional microscopic analysis of various materials. Among them, the sample stage is one of the core components of the scanning electron microscope. In the scanning electron microscope, the sample stage plays the role of placing samples and assisting in transferring electrons. When observing the cross-sectional morphology of samples, it is usually necessary to use conductive tape or conductive glue to vertically stick and fix the samples on a vertical table specially used for observing the cross-sectional surface of the samples. The existing sample stage can place a small number of cross-sectional samples at one time, resulting in a low utilization rate of the scanning electron microscope. When it is necessary to observe the cross-sectional surfaces of different samples, it is necessary to frequently replace the samples, which affects the vacuum degree during the test and also leads to a decrease in efficiency. In addition, the stability of fixing the samples with conductive tape or glue is insufficient, and they may fall off during the tilting and rotating process, which can easily make the imaging effect of the samples worse under high-magnification imaging. Even if some new electron microscope models have the functions of rotation and tilting, their tilt angles are limited. During the test process, large-angle tilting will also increase the risk of instrument damage. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art at least to a certain extent. To this end, one purpose of the utility model is to provide a sample stage for a scanning electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The sample stage for the scanning electron microscope not only facilitates continuous multi-angle observation of a sample cross section, but also improves the detection efficiency and imaging effect of the scanning electron microscope.

[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a sample stage for a scanning electron microscope. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sample stage comprises:

[0006] Pedestal;

[0007] A rotating assembly connected to the base;

[0008] Multiple sample-carrying interlayers; the multiple sample-carrying interlayers are connected to the base via the rotating assembly, and the rotating assembly drives the sample-carrying interlayers to rotate, so that the angle between the sample-carrying interlayers and the horizontal direction can be adjusted.

[0009] According to the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope in the above-mentioned embodiment of the utility model, multiple groups of samples can be carried at the same time by providing multiple sample carrying interlayers. When characterizing the cross-sectional morphology of different samples, there is no need to frequently perform the operations of releasing vacuum - loading samples - pumping vacuum. The sample to be tested can be rotated to the detection area of ​​the scanning electron microscope in combination with a rotating component, which not only simplifies the operating difficulty and improves the test efficiency, but also realizes continuous multi-angle observation of the sample cross section.

[0010] In addition, the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope according to the above embodiment of the utility model may also have the following additional technical features:

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the adjustable range of the angle between each sample-carrying interlayer and the horizontal direction is 0° to 360°, thereby improving the controllability and flexibility of the scanning electron microscope sample stage and facilitating the continuous multi-angle observation of the sample cross-sectional morphology.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope further includes: an interlayer spacing adjustment component, which is used to adjust the spacing within the sample-bearing interlayer. This can improve the flexibility and convenience of sample disassembly, help improve the clamping stability of the sample, and further reduce the risk of high-magnification image blur caused by unstable sample fixation.

[0013] In some embodiments of the utility model, the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope also includes: a sample supporting platform and a sample clamping assembly, the sample supporting platform is connected to the base via the rotating assembly, the sample supporting platform and the sample clamping assembly are connected via the interlayer spacing adjustment assembly, and the sample supporting interlayer is formed between the sample supporting platform and the sample clamping assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sample supporting platform is a conductive supporting platform, and the sample clamping assembly is a conductive clamping assembly.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sample carrier stage includes a plurality of sample carrier plates, one end of the sample carrier plates is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating assembly, and the other end is provided with at least one sample clamping assembly, and the plurality of sample carrier plates are spaced apart along the circumferential direction and / or the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft. Thus, the space of the sample stage can be fully utilized, which not only increases the number of fixed samples, but also helps to avoid interference between the samples and affect the imaging effect.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the interlayer spacing adjustment assembly includes a matching spring nut and a bolt, and the sample carrier plate and the sample clamping assembly are provided with screw holes matching the spring nut and the bolt. This is not only conducive to controlling the stability of the sample in the sample carrier interlayer, but also convenient for adjusting the spacing of the sample carrier interlayer.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the base is a U-shaped plate, and both ends of the rotating shaft of the rotating component are rotatably connected to two side plates of the U-shaped plate.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope further includes a stepper motor, and the stepper motor is used to control the rotation angle of the rotating component.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the scanning electron microscope includes the sample stage of the above-mentioned scanning electron microscope. The scanning electron microscope can not only continuously observe the sample cross section from multiple angles, but also has higher detection efficiency and more stable imaging effect.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural front view of a sample stage of a scanning electron microscope according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 The present invention is a top view of the structure of a sample stage of a scanning electron microscope according to another embodiment of the present invention. Description of the drawings:

[0025] 100-base; 110-bottom plate; 120-side plate; 200-rotating assembly; 300-sample carrying interlayer; 310-sample carrying table; 311-sample carrying plate; 320-sample clamping assembly; 400-interlayer spacing adjustment assembly; 410-bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the utility model are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the utility model, and cannot be understood as limitations on the utility model. In the description of the utility model, it is necessary to understand that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the utility model.

[0027] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly specified. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances. In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature "above" or "below" the second feature can be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0028] In one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a sample stage for a scanning electron microscope. Figure 1 It is understood that the sample stage includes: a base 100, a rotating assembly 200 and a plurality of sample carrying interlayers 300, the rotating assembly 200 is connected to the base 100; the plurality of sample carrying interlayers 300 are connected to the base 100 via the rotating assembly 200, and the rotating assembly 200 drives the sample carrying interlayers 300 to rotate, so that the angle between the sample carrying interlayers 300 and the horizontal direction is adjustable.

[0029] According to the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope in the above-mentioned embodiment of the utility model, multiple groups of samples can be carried at the same time by providing multiple sample carrying interlayers. When characterizing the cross-sectional morphology of different samples, there is no need to frequently perform the operations of releasing vacuum - loading samples - pumping vacuum. The sample to be tested can be rotated to the detection area of ​​the scanning electron microscope in combination with a rotating component, which not only simplifies the operating difficulty and improves the test efficiency, but also realizes continuous multi-angle observation of the sample cross section.

[0030] According to the embodiment of the utility model, combined with Figure 1 It is understood that by providing a base 100, it can be used to carry the rotating assembly 200 and the sample holding interlayer 300, and fix them on the scanning electron microscope stage. There is no particular restriction on the fixing method of the base and the scanning electron microscope stage, and those skilled in the art can flexibly choose according to actual conditions. For example, the base and the scanning electron microscope stage can be detachably connected by bolts, etc. In addition, there is no particular restriction on the specific type of the stage in the utility model. For example, the stage can be a metal stage or a cemented carbide stage, etc. By selecting metal or cemented carbide materials, the stage can be less deformed and is sturdy and durable. Further, according to some specific examples of the utility model, combined with Figure 1 It is understood that the base 100 can be a U-shaped plate, and the two ends of the rotating shaft of the rotating assembly 200 can be rotatably connected to the two side plates of the U-shaped plate. Figure 1 It is understood that the base 100 may include a bottom plate 110 and two side plates 120 parallel to each other, and the two side plates 120 are respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate 110 and arranged opposite to each other. Therefore, not only is the structure simple, but it is also convenient to realize the rotation of the sample supporting interlayer and the rotating assembly relative to the base, and to fix the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope and the scanning electron microscope stage.

[0031] According to the embodiment of the utility model, combined with Figure 1 It is understood that when the sample is fixed in the sample-carrying interlayer 300, the cross section of the sample can be made perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the plane where the sample-carrying interlayer 300 is located. For example, the angle between the cross section of the sample and the plane where the sample-carrying interlayer 300 is located can be 90°, 80°, 60°, 40°, 20°, etc. By changing the angle between the sample-carrying interlayer 300 and the horizontal direction, the angle between the cross section of the sample and the horizontal direction is adjusted so that the cross section of the sample to be tested is located in the detection area of ​​the scanning electron microscope. According to some embodiments of the utility model, the adjustable range of the angle between each sample-carrying interlayer 300 and the horizontal direction can be 0° to 360°, thereby being able to more flexibly adjust the relative position of the sample with the base, and change the angle between the cross section of the sample and the horizontal direction, thereby being conducive to improving the controllability and flexibility of the scanning electron microscope sample stage, and facilitating the realization of continuous multi-angle observation of the cross-sectional morphology of the sample.

[0032] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the sample stage may further include a stepper motor, which controls the rotation angle of the rotating assembly to adjust the position of the sample-carrying interlayer and the angle with the horizontal direction, which is more conducive to automating the detection process.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 It is understood that the sample stage may also include: an interlayer spacing adjustment component 400, which is used to adjust the spacing within the sample-carrying interlayer 300. For example, the spacing within the sample-carrying interlayer can be increased to facilitate sample placement or sampling, and the spacing within the sample-carrying interlayer can be decreased to clamp and fix the sample. By setting the interlayer spacing adjustment component, there is no need to use conductive tape or conductive glue to bond and fix the sample. The sample to be tested can be directly fixed in the sample-carrying interlayer through the interlayer spacing adjustment component, which is not only convenient for operation, but also conducive to improving the flexibility and convenience of sample disassembly and detection efficiency. It can also eliminate the interference of conductive glue on the cross-sectional morphology, and effectively avoid the problem of blurred imaging (especially imaging at high magnification) caused by unstable placement of the sample or loose conductive glue. It should be noted that the utility model does not have any special restrictions on the specific type of interlayer spacing adjustment component, and those skilled in the art can flexibly choose according to actual conditions. For example, the interlayer spacing adjustment component can be an elastic regulator, a bolt and nut assembly, etc.

[0034] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 It is understood that the sample stage may also include: a sample supporting platform 310 and a sample clamping assembly 320, the sample supporting platform 310 is connected to the base 100 via a rotating assembly 200, the sample supporting platform 310 and the sample clamping assembly 320 are connected via an interlayer spacing adjustment assembly 400, and a sample supporting interlayer 300 is formed between the sample supporting platform 310 and the sample clamping assembly 320. Thus, the spacing between the sample carrier table 310 and the sample clamping assembly 320 (i.e., the sample carrier interlayer 300) can be adjusted by the interlayer spacing adjustment assembly 400 to achieve loading, unloading or fixing of the sample. For example, the sample carrier table 310 can be first rotated to a position parallel or approximately parallel to the horizontal plane by the rotating assembly 200, and the sample to be tested can be placed on the surface of the sample carrier table. The distance between the sample clamping assembly 320 and the sample carrier table 310 can then be adjusted by the interlayer spacing adjustment assembly 400 to clamp the sample so that the sample cross section is exposed. The sample carrier table 310 and the sample clamping assembly 320 can then be driven to rotate by the rotating assembly 200 to change the position of the sample and the angle between the sample cross section and the horizontal direction, so that the sample cross section is within the visible range, thereby achieving the characterization of different sample cross sections and continuous multi-angle observation of each sample cross section.

[0035] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the sample carrier can be a conductive carrier, and the sample clamping assembly can be a conductive clamping assembly, which is helpful to avoid the accumulation of charge on the surface of the test sample and affect the imaging effect. It should be noted that there is no special restriction on the specific materials of the sample carrier and the sample clamping assembly in the utility model, and those skilled in the art can flexibly choose according to actual conditions. For example, the sample carrier and the sample clamping assembly can be independently made of metal or other hard alloy materials, which not only have good conductivity, but also are strong and durable with small deformation.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 It is understood that the sample support table 310 may include a plurality of sample support plates 311, one end of the sample support plate 311 is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating assembly 200, and the other end is provided with at least one sample clamping assembly 320, and the plurality of sample support plates 311 are spaced apart along the circumference and / or length direction of the rotating shaft, such as being spaced apart along the circumference of the rotating shaft. Thus, one or more samples can be fixed in the sample support interlayer formed by the sample support plate and the sample clamping assembly according to actual needs, and the sample support interlayer with the sample to be tested fixed can be moved to the test area of ​​the scanning electron microscope by the rotation of the rotating assembly, and the structure is simple and the operation is flexible. It should be noted that there is no particular restriction on the number of sample support plates in the utility model, and those skilled in the art can flexibly select according to actual conditions, for example, the number of sample support plates can be 2 to 10, or 3, 4, 6, 8, etc. According to some specific examples of the utility model, combined with Figures 1-2 It is understood that the sample carrier 310 can be a cross-shaped carrier, which is mounted on the rotating axis of the rotating component 200 and is provided with four sample carrier plates 311. The four sample carrier plates 311 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the rotating axis. Each sample carrier plate 311 can be provided with one or more sample clamping components 320 on both sides along the thickness direction thereof, such as a sample clamping component 320 can be distributed on at least one side along the thickness direction thereof. In this way, the space of the sample stage can be fully utilized, which not only increases the number of fixed samples, but also helps to avoid interference between samples and affect the imaging effect.

[0037] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figures 1-2 It is understood that the interlayer spacing adjustment component 400 may include a matching spring nut (not shown) and a bolt 410, and the sample carrier plate and the sample clamping component 320 are provided with screw holes matching the spring nut and the bolt 410. The sample carrier plate and the sample clamping component are connected through the screw holes and the cooperation of the spring nut and the bolt. The use of the spring nut and the bolt is not only conducive to controlling the stability of the sample in the sample carrier interlayer, but also convenient for adjusting the spacing size of the sample carrier interlayer.

[0038] In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the scanning electron microscope includes the sample stage of the above-mentioned scanning electron microscope. The scanning electron microscope can not only continuously observe the sample cross section from multiple angles, but also has higher detection efficiency and more stable imaging effect.

[0039] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0040] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations of the present invention. Ordinary technicians in the field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sample stage for a scanning electron microscope, characterized in that: include: Pedestal; A rotating assembly connected to the base; Multiple sample-carrying sandwiches; The plurality of sample-carrying interlayers are connected to the base via the rotating assembly, and the rotating assembly drives the sample-carrying interlayers to rotate, thereby achieving an adjustable angle between the sample-carrying interlayers and the horizontal direction.

2. The sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustable range of the angle between each sample-carrying interlayer and the horizontal direction is 0° to 360°.

3. The sample stage according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: An interlayer spacing adjustment component is used to adjust the spacing within the sample-carrying interlayer.

4. The sample stage according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A sample carrier platform and a sample clamping assembly, wherein the sample carrier platform is connected to the base via the rotating assembly, the sample carrier platform and the sample clamping assembly are connected via the interlayer spacing adjustment assembly, and the sample carrier interlayer is formed between the sample carrier platform and the sample clamping assembly.

5. The sample stage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sample carrying platform is a conductive carrying platform, and the sample clamping component is a conductive clamping component.

6. The sample stage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sample carrier platform includes a plurality of sample carrier plates, one end of which is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating assembly and the other end of which is provided with at least one sample clamping assembly. The plurality of sample carrier plates are spaced apart along the circumference and / or length direction of the rotating shaft.

7. The sample stage according to claim 6, characterized in that: The interlayer spacing adjustment component comprises a matching spring nut and a bolt, and screw holes matching the spring nut and the bolt are provided on the sample supporting plate and the sample clamping component.

8. The sample stage according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The base is a U-shaped plate, and both ends of the rotating shaft of the rotating assembly are rotatably connected to two side plates of the U-shaped plate.

9. The sample stage according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a stepper motor, which is used to control the rotation angle of the rotating component.

10. A scanning electron microscope, characterized in that: A sample stage for a scanning electron microscope comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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