X-ray analyzer

Abstract

To provide an X-ray analyzer capable of detecting a foreign matter and identifying elements in the foreign matter with high accuracy, even when applied to a roll-to-roll method, without reducing throughput.SOLUTION: An X-ray analyzer comprises: an unwinding portion 2 that continuously unwinds a sample S downstream at a constant unwinding speed; a foreign matter inspection and analysis portion 10 that inspects and analyzes a foreign matter in the unwound sample; and a winding portion 7 that winds the sample which has passed through the foreign matter inspection and analysis portion. The foreign matter inspection and analysis portion includes: a foreign matter location detection portion 3 that detects a location of the foreign matter in the sample unwound and moving; an intermittent transfer portion 4 that intermittently stops or slows movement of a portion of the sample where the foreign matter is detected to a speed slower than the unwinding speed downstream of the foreign matter location detection portion when the foreign matter is detected; and an X-ray analysis portion 5 that irradiates, with X-rays, the portion where the foreign matter is detected which is stopped or moving at the slower speed to perform analysis. The intermittent transfer portion discharges the portion where the foreign matter is detected, which is stopped or moving at the slower speed, to the winding portion after the analysis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an X-ray analysis apparatus capable of detecting the position of a foreign matter contained in a sample, which is a strip-shaped sheet that is continuously transported, and analyzing the foreign matter with high accuracy. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for high-performance sheet materials, including battery materials. It is known that such high-performance sheet materials are manufactured by wrapping them in a roll and processing and inspecting them using the roll-to-roll method. Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a transmission X-ray foreign body inspection device that continuously moves a roll-shaped, strip-shaped sample, such as a high-performance sheet material, in a predetermined transport direction while inspecting the sample for foreign bodies using transmitted X-rays.

[0003] The transmission X-ray foreign body inspection device of Patent Document 1 can detect foreign bodies in a sample, but cannot identify the elements that make up the foreign bodies. For this reason, in the past, for example in Patent Document 2, an X-ray analysis device has been proposed that combines transmitted X-rays and fluorescent X-rays to detect foreign objects in a sheet-like sample using transmitted X-rays, move the sample stage to the position of the foreign object based on the coordinate information of the foreign object, and identify the elements of the foreign object using fluorescent X-ray analysis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-170924 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5956730 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above conventional techniques still have the following problems. In the conventional technology of Patent Document 2, after detecting foreign matter by transmission X-ray analysis, the sample is moved to an X-ray fluorescence inspection section and X-ray fluorescence analysis is performed, but performing the inspection while moving the sample shortens the measurement time, making it difficult to measure the physical properties of the foreign matter with high accuracy. In particular, in the case of a sample that is a long strip-shaped sheet, it is necessary to cut the part where the foreign matter was detected and move it to the X-ray fluorescence inspection section, and perform the X-ray fluorescence analysis with the sample transportation stopped. For this reason, there is a demand for a device that can detect foreign matter on samples transported by the roll-to-roll method and perform detailed analysis and inspection, such as identifying the elements of the foreign matter, without reducing throughput.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an X-ray analysis apparatus that is capable of detecting foreign matter and identifying the elements of the foreign matter with high accuracy without reducing throughput, even in a roll-to-roll system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration: That is, an X-ray analysis apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a feed section that feeds out a sample, which is a strip-shaped sheet, continuously downstream at a constant feed speed, a foreign matter inspection and analysis section that inspects and analyzes foreign matters in the sample fed out from the feed section, and a winding section that winds up the sample that has passed through the foreign matter inspection and analysis section, the foreign matter inspection and analysis section including a foreign matter position detection section that detects the position of a foreign matter in the sample being fed out from the feed section and moving, an intermittent transport section that, when a foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter position detection section, causes a portion of the sample in which the foreign matter is detected to move intermittently downstream of the foreign matter position detection section to stop or to move at a speed slower than the feed speed, and an X-ray analysis section that irradiates the portion in which the foreign matter is detected that has been stopped or slowed with X-rays to analyze it, and the intermittent transport section discharges the portion in which the foreign matter is detected that has been stopped or slowed after the analysis to the winding section.

[0008] In this X-ray analysis device, the foreign body inspection and analysis section includes a foreign body position detection section that detects the position of a foreign body in the sample being fed out from the feed section and moving, an intermittent transport section that, when a foreign body is detected by the foreign body position detection section, intermittently stops or slows the movement of the portion of the sample in which the foreign body is detected downstream of the foreign body position detection section, and an X-ray analysis section that irradiates and analyzes the portion in which the foreign body is detected and stopped or slowed with X-rays, so that the foreign body position detection section detects the foreign body position while continuously moving, and the X-ray analysis section performs analysis such as element identification of the foreign body by performing fluorescent X-ray analysis or the like while stopping or slowing the portion in which the foreign body is detected. Also, the intermittent transport section discharges the portion in which the foreign body was detected and stopped or slowed to the winding section after analysis, so that the portion that was stopped or slowed to the winding section is discharged and transported downstream after analysis and wound up by the winding section, thereby making it possible to perform X-ray analysis without stopping the overall transport of the sample. Therefore, even with the roll-to-roll method, the position of foreign matter can be detected while the strip-shaped sample is continuously moved at a constant transport speed, and by intermittently and partially stopping or slowing down the portion where the foreign matter is detected, it is possible to perform accurate analysis while ensuring sufficient measurement time without reducing the overall throughput.

[0009] The X-ray analysis apparatus of the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the foreign object position detection unit is a transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the sample with transmitted X-rays to detect the foreign object, and the X-ray analysis unit is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit that irradiates the portion where the foreign object is detected with X-rays and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample. That is, in this X-ray analysis device, the foreign object position detection unit is a transmitted X-ray inspection unit that detects foreign objects by irradiating a sample with transmitted X-rays, and the X-ray analysis unit is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit that irradiates X-rays onto the portion where the foreign object is detected and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample. Therefore, the X-ray analysis unit irradiates X-rays onto the position of the foreign object detected by the transmitted X-rays and detects the fluorescent X-rays emitted, thereby enabling elemental identification of the foreign object.

[0010] The X-ray analysis apparatus of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the foreign object position detection unit is a first transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the sample with transmitted X-rays to detect the foreign object, and the X-ray analysis unit is a second transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the portion where the foreign object is detected with transmitted X-rays to detect the size of the foreign object. That is, in this X-ray analysis device, the foreign object position detection unit is a first transmission X-ray inspection unit that detects foreign objects by irradiating the sample with transmitted X-rays, and the X-ray analysis unit is a second transmission X-ray inspection unit that detects the size of the foreign object by irradiating the part where the foreign object is detected with transmitted X-rays.Therefore, a more detailed analysis of the foreign object can be performed in two stages by performing rough detection to detect only the position of the foreign object using the first transmission X-ray inspection unit (foreign object inspection unit) while the sample is moved, and then detecting the size of the foreign object using the second transmission X-ray inspection unit (X-ray analysis unit) while the sample is stopped or moving at a slow speed.

[0011] The X-ray analysis apparatus of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the foreign object position detection unit is a visible light inspection unit that detects visible light from the sample to detect the foreign object, and the X-ray analysis unit is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit that irradiates X-rays onto the portion where the foreign object is detected and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample. That is, in this X-ray analysis apparatus, the foreign object position detection unit is a visible light inspection unit that detects foreign objects by detecting visible light from the sample, and the X-ray analysis unit is an X-ray fluorescence analysis unit that irradiates X-rays onto the area where a foreign object is detected and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample. Therefore, the visible light inspection unit (foreign object position detection unit) can confirm foreign objects such as dirt, wrinkles, air bubbles, discolored areas, etc. on the sample with visible light, and the X-ray fluorescence analysis unit (X-ray analysis unit) can identify the elements that make up the foreign objects.

[0012] The X-ray analysis apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, it further comprises a marking unit that marks the portion where the foreign matter is detected or in the vicinity thereof. In other words, this X-ray analysis device is equipped with a marking section that marks the area where a foreign object is detected or in its vicinity, so that the area where a foreign object is detected can be visually confirmed by the marking, making it easier to analyze the foreign object in subsequent processes.

[0013] The X-ray analysis apparatus according to a sixth invention is characterized in that, in the fifth invention, the marking unit performs the marking while the sample is stopped or moving at the slow speed in the intermittent transport unit. That is, in this X-ray analysis apparatus, the marking section performs marking while the sample is stopped or moving at a slow speed in the intermittent transport section, so that by having the sample stopped or moving at a slow speed, it is possible to accurately mark the area where a foreign body is detected.

[0014] The X-ray analysis apparatus of the seventh invention is characterized in that, in the fifth invention, the marking unit performs the marking only on or near the portion where the foreign matter that meets certain conditions based on the analysis results of the foreign matter analyzed by the X-ray analysis unit is detected, or performs the marking with a specific mark. That is, in this X-ray analysis device, the marking section marks or marks with a specific mark only in or near the area where a foreign object that meets certain conditions based on the analysis results of the foreign object analyzed by the X-ray analysis section is detected, so that it is possible to distinguish between areas where a foreign object that will not cause problems for the product has been detected and areas where a foreign object that will cause problems has been detected by the presence or absence of marking or by the difference in the mark. For example, if the X-ray analysis unit is an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, marking can be performed on the part where the foreign object was detected only if a specific element that causes a problem for the sample is detected from the constituent elements of the detected foreign object, or if the X-ray analysis unit is a transmission X-ray analyzer, marking can be performed on the part where the foreign object was detected only if the detected foreign object is large enough to cause a problem for the product. This makes it possible to visually distinguish between foreign objects that do not cause problems for the product and those that do, improving the overall yield. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the following effects are obtained. That is, according to the X-ray analysis apparatus of the present invention, the foreign body inspection and analysis section comprises a foreign body position detection section which detects the position of a foreign body in the sample being unwound from the unwound section and moving, an intermittent transport section which, when a foreign body is detected by the foreign body position detection section, intermittently stops or slows down the movement of the portion of the sample in which the foreign body is detected downstream of the foreign body position detection section, downstream of the foreign body position detection section, and an X-ray analysis section which irradiates the stopped or slowed-down portion in which the foreign body is detected with X-rays for analysis, and the intermittent transport section discharges the stopped or slowed-down portion in which the foreign body is detected to the winding section after analysis. Therefore, even in the roll-to-roll method, it is possible to detect the position of a foreign body while continuously moving the strip-shaped sample at a constant transport speed, and by intermittently and partially stopping or slowing down the portion in which the foreign body was detected, it is possible to accurately inspect the physical properties, etc. of the foreign body while ensuring sufficient measurement time, without reducing the overall throughput. Therefore, the X-ray analysis apparatus of the present invention can complete the location of foreign matter, identification of foreign matter elements, and the like, all within the roll-to-roll process in the manufacturing process of sheet material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an X-ray analysis apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the intermittent transport unit when a foreign object is detected and transport is stopped (a), when transport is restarted from the stopped state (b), and when accumulated samples are discharged (c) in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing an X-ray analysis apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing an X-ray analysis apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an X-ray analysis apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the X-ray analysis apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a payout section 2 that continuously pays out a strip-shaped sheet, a sample S, downstream at a constant payout speed, a foreign matter inspection and analysis section 10 that inspects and analyzes foreign matters in the sample S paid out from the payout section 2, and a winding section 7 that winds up the sample S that has passed through the foreign matter inspection and analysis section 10. The foreign body inspection and analysis section 10 includes a foreign body position detection section 3 which detects the position of a foreign body in the sample S being fed out from the feed section 2 and moving, an intermittent transport section 4 which, when a foreign body is detected by the foreign body position detection section 3, intermittently stops the movement of the part of the sample S in which the foreign body is detected downstream of the foreign body position detection section 3 or reduces the movement to a speed slower than the feed speed, and an X-ray analysis section 5 which irradiates the stopped or slowed-down part in which the foreign body is detected with X-rays to analyze it.

[0019] The intermittent transport unit 4 is set so as to discharge, after the analysis, the portion in which a foreign substance has been detected and which was stopped or slowed down, to the winding unit 7. In other words, the intermittent transport unit 4 is set so as to discharge, after the X-ray analysis, the portion in which a foreign substance has been detected and which was stopped or slowed down, to the winding unit 7 at a speed faster than the payout speed and in a short time, so that the amount of sample S paid out from the payout unit 2 and the amount of sample S taken up by the winding unit 7 match.

[0020] The X-ray analysis device 1 of this embodiment also includes a marking unit 8 that marks a portion where a foreign object is detected or the vicinity thereof. Marking near the portion where a foreign object is detected is performed, for example, at a portion of a strip-shaped sample S where a virtual line extending in the width direction from the portion where the foreign object is detected intersects with a side edge of the sample S. The marking unit 8 performs marking while the sample S is stopped or moving at a slow speed in the intermittent transport unit 4. Further, the marking unit 8 marks only the portion or its vicinity where a foreign object that meets certain conditions based on the analysis results of the foreign object analyzed by the X-ray analysis unit 5 is detected, or marks with a specific mark.

[0021] In this embodiment, the foreign object position detection unit 3 is a transmission X-ray inspection unit (XRT inspection unit) that detects foreign objects by irradiating the sample S with transmitted X-rays, and the X-ray analysis unit 5 is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit (XRF analysis unit) that irradiates the portion where the foreign object is detected with X-rays and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample S. The foreign object position detection unit 3 includes a first X-ray source 3a that is positioned below the transported sample S and irradiates X-rays toward the sample S, a first X-ray detector 3b that is positioned above the sample S facing the first X-ray source 3a and detects X-rays that have passed through the sample S, and a foreign object determination unit 3c that is connected to the first X-ray detector 3b and determines the presence and position of a foreign object based on the transmitted X-rays detected by the first X-ray detector 3b and transmits position information of the foreign object.

[0022] The X-ray analysis unit 5 includes a second X-ray source 5a that is arranged above the sample S on the intermittent transport unit 4 and irradiates X-rays onto foreign objects in the sample S, a second X-ray detector 5b that is arranged above the sample S on the intermittent transport unit 4 and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the foreign objects, and a foreign object analysis unit 5c that is connected to the second X-ray detector 5b and performs elemental identification of the foreign objects and transmits information on the identified elements.

[0023] The unwinding section 2 is equipped with a unwinding roller 2a around which a strip-shaped sample S before foreign matter detection is wound and which unwinds the sample S, a pair of foreign matter inspection rollers 2b arranged horizontally for horizontally transporting the sample S unwound from the unwinding roller 2a, and a first guide roller 2c for guiding the sample S from the foreign matter inspection rollers 2b to the intermittent transport section 4. The first X-ray source 3a is disposed below the sample S which is horizontally transported between a pair of foreign substance inspection rollers 2b, and the first X-ray detector 3b is disposed above the sample S.

[0024] The intermittent conveying section 4 includes first and second fixed rollers 4a, 4b that guide the sample S fed from the first guide roller 2c, a first movable roller 4c that passes between the first and second fixed rollers 4a, 4b and can be moved by a motor or the like in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path of the sample S (the vertical direction in this embodiment), a third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e that guide the sample S fed from the second fixed roller 4b, and a second movable roller 4f that passes between the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e and can be moved by a motor or the like in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path of the sample S (the vertical direction in this embodiment).

[0025] The second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d are arranged horizontally relative to each other so that the sample S between them is transported horizontally. The first movable roller 4c is attached to a ball screw (not shown) that extends vertically, for example penetrating the center of the first and second fixed rollers 4a, 4b, and can be moved up and down by controlling a motor (not shown) that rotates this ball screw. Similarly, the second movable roller 4f is attached to a ball screw (not shown) extending vertically so as to penetrate, for example, the center of the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e, and can be moved up and down by controlling a motor (not shown) that rotates this ball screw.

[0026] The winding section 7 includes a second guide roller 7a that guides the sample S fed from the fourth fixed roller 4e, and a winding roller 7b that winds the sample S from the second guide roller 7a at a constant winding speed. As described above, the method of transporting the sample S in this embodiment is a roll-to-roll method. The winding roller 7b is rotated by a motor (not shown).

[0027] The first X-ray detector 3b of the foreign object position detection unit 3 is, for example, a TDI (Time Delay Integration) sensor, which is an X-ray detection unit having multiple rows of line sensors along a specific direction, with pixels arranged in a matrix, and detecting X-rays that have passed through the sample S with the pixels. The second X-ray detector 5b of the X-ray analysis unit 5 is a silicon drift detector (SDD) in which a p-type semiconductor region is provided by implanting B (boron) on the window surface side of an n-type high-resistance substrate, for example, to form a p-n junction. The X-ray analysis unit 5 is equipped with an analysis unit moving mechanism (not shown), such as an XY stage, which can move the second X-ray source 5a and the second X-ray detector 5b relative to the plane of the sample S along the X and Y axes (the X direction is the extension direction of the sample S, and the Y direction is the width direction of the sample S).

[0028] In addition, the X-ray analysis apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a control unit C which is a computer that is connected to and controls the payout unit 2, intermittent conveying unit 4, foreign object position detection unit 3, X-ray analysis unit 5, marking unit 8, winding unit 7, etc., and displays and records information on the position of foreign objects received from the foreign object position detection unit 3 and the identified elements of foreign objects received from the X-ray analysis unit 5.

[0029] Next, a method for detecting and analyzing foreign matter in the sample S using the X-ray analysis apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, the sample S is pulled out from the payout roller 2a of the payout section 2 at a constant payout speed and transported between a pair of foreign body inspection rollers 2b. The sample S in the moving state is then inspected for the presence and position of foreign bodies by the foreign body position detection section 3, which is a transmitted X-ray inspection section. If no foreign matter is detected in the sample S, a constant amount of the sample S is constantly fed out from the feed roller 2a at a constant feed speed, and the sample S between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d is also transported at the same feed speed. Since no foreign matter is detected, foreign matter analysis is not performed in the foreign matter analysis unit 5c.

[0030] When a foreign object is detected, the foreign object position detection unit 3 transmits the presence or absence of a foreign object in the sample S, the position of the foreign object, etc. as foreign object information to the control unit C. When multiple foreign objects are detected, the foreign object information for each of the foreign objects is also transmitted. Based on the received foreign matter information, when a portion of the sample S in which a foreign matter has been detected is transported between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d of the intermittent transport unit 4, the control unit C temporarily stops the transport between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d by the intermittent transport unit 4, or makes the transport speed slower than the pay-out speed. For example, when the transport of the sample S is stopped, the measurement time for the fluorescent X-ray analysis is set to, for example, 2 seconds for each detected foreign matter, and the transport of the sample S is stopped by the intermittent transport unit 4 for a time corresponding to the number of foreign matters.

[0031] When the transport of the sample S by the intermittent transport unit 4 is stopped, the rotation of the third fixed roller 4d is first stopped, and the transport of the sample S between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d is stopped and brought to a stationary state. At this time, the rotation of the delivery roller 2a, which is driven to rotate at a constant rotation speed, is not stopped, and the sample S to be delivered at the next restart of transport is constantly delivered from the delivery roller 2a at a constant amount, and the constantly delivered amount of the sample S is stored by the movement of the first movable roller 4c.

[0032] That is, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the sample S between the first fixed roller 4a and the second fixed roller 4b is wrapped around, and the first movable roller 4c gradually moves away from the first and second fixed rollers 4a and 4b in a direction perpendicular to the transport path of the sample S (downward in this embodiment), thereby storing the sample S for the next restart of transport. At this time, the sample S is stored between the first fixed roller 4a and the second fixed roller 4b for a length twice the distance between the first and second fixed rollers 4a and 4b and the first movable roller 4c. The length of the temporarily stored sample S corresponds to the time during which transport is stopped for foreign matter analysis, and is determined so that the overall throughput of the sample S does not decrease. Simultaneously with the above operation, the second movable roller 4f is gradually moved closer to the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d and 4e.

[0033] When the transport of the sample S by the intermittent transport unit 4 is stopped or is moving at a speed slower than the payout speed, the X-ray analysis unit 5 performs fluorescent X-ray analysis on the foreign matter based on the foreign matter information. At this time, the second X-ray source 5a and the second X-ray analyzer 5b are moved by an analysis unit moving mechanism such as an XY stage to the position of the foreign matter on the sample S which is stationary or moving at a slow speed, and the foreign matter is irradiated with pinpoint X-rays, and the foreign matter analysis unit 5c identifies the element of the foreign matter from the fluorescent X-rays irradiated and detected from the foreign matter.

[0034] On the other hand, the marking unit 8 performs marking at or near the position where the foreign object is detected. For example, if Cu is an element contained in a foreign matter that is acceptable for the product, but Fe is problematic for the product, the marking unit 8 will not perform marking or will mark with a mark indicating OK (e.g., "O") if Cu is detected in the foreign matter by the X-ray analysis unit 5, and will perform marking or will mark with a mark indicating NG (no good) (e.g., "X") if Fe is detected in the foreign matter by the X-ray analysis unit 5. The marking unit 8 is also movable by an analysis unit moving mechanism such as an XY stage to mark the position where the foreign matter was detected or in its vicinity.

[0035] Next, after the analysis of the foreign matter by the foreign matter analysis unit 5c is completed, the first movable roller 4c is rapidly brought close to the first and second fixed rollers 4a, 4b in a short period of time in order to discharge the portion of the sample S accumulated by the first movable roller 4c in a short period of time. That is, by driving the third fixed roller 4d to rotate, the first movable roller 4c approaches the first and second fixed rollers 4a and 4b by a length equivalent to half the length of the transported sample S. This approach of the first movable roller 4c is performed in synchronization with the rotation of the third fixed roller 4d. The sample S is wrapped around the first movable roller 4c in a U-shape, and a length of sample S equal to twice the movement amount of the first movable roller 4c plus the length of sample S unwound from the unwinding roller 2a during that short period is unwound from the second fixed roller 4b. Moreover, the sample S that is fed from the second fixed roller 4b and transported via the third fixed roller 4d is accumulated in a short time by the movement of the second movable roller 4f.

[0036] That is, as shown in (b) of FIG. 2, the sample S is wrapped around the third fixed roller 4d and the fourth fixed roller 4e, and the second movable roller 4f moves rapidly away from the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e in a short period of time in a direction perpendicular to the transport path of the sample S (downward in this embodiment), thereby storing the sample S for discharge for winding. The third fixed roller 4d is rotated by a motor to pick up the portion of the sample S where the analysis of foreign matter has been completed, and the sample S is accumulated between the third fixed roller 4d and the fourth fixed roller 4e for a length twice the distance between the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e and the second movable roller 4f.

[0037] At this time, the rotation of the third fixed roller 4d and the movement of the second movable roller 4f are performed in synchronization with each other. The sample S is wrapped around the second movable roller 4f in a U-shape, and a length of the sample S equal to twice the movement amount of the second movable roller 4f plus the length of the sample S wound up by the winding roller 7b during that short period is accumulated between the third fixed roller 4d and the fourth fixed roller 4e. The movement amount of the first moving roller 4c and the movement amount of the second moving roller 4f are the same.

[0038] Figure 2(c) shows the state of the sample S, which had been stopped between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d, immediately after it has been transported and stored between the third fixed roller 4d and the fourth fixed roller 4e. Thereafter, the sample S stored as described above is discharged by moving the second movable roller 4f and wound up by the winding section 7. That is, the second movable roller 4f between the third fixed roller 4d and the fourth fixed roller 4e is moved upward to approach the third and fourth fixed rollers 4d, 4e, whereby the stored sample S is discharged downstream from the fourth fixed roller 4e and wound up by the winding roller 7b which is driven to rotate by a motor. The winding roller 7b is set to always wind up a constant amount of sample S.

[0039] In this manner, in the X-ray analysis apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the foreign body inspection and analysis section 10 comprises a foreign body position detection section 3 that detects the position of a foreign body in the sample S being fed out from the feed section 2 and moving, an intermittent conveying section 4 that, when a foreign body is detected by the foreign body position detection section 3, intermittently stops the movement of the part of the sample S in which a foreign body has been detected downstream of the foreign body position detection section 3 or reduces the movement to a speed slower than the feed speed, and an X-ray analysis section 5 that irradiates the stopped or slowed-down part in which a foreign body has been detected with X-rays for analysis. Therefore, it is possible to detect the position of a foreign body using the foreign body position detection section 3 while the sample is continuously moved, and to perform elemental identification analysis of the foreign body using the X-ray analysis section 5, which performs X-ray fluorescence analysis while the part in which the foreign body is detected is stopped or moved at a slow speed.

[0040] In particular, the foreign object position detection unit 3 is a transmitted X-ray inspection unit that detects foreign objects by irradiating the sample S with transmitted X-rays, and the X-ray analysis unit 5 is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit that irradiates X-rays onto the portion where the foreign object is detected and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample S. Therefore, the X-ray analysis unit 5 can irradiate X-rays onto the position of the foreign object detected by the transmitted X-rays and detect the emitted fluorescent X-rays, thereby enabling highly accurate elemental identification of the foreign object.

[0041] In addition, the intermittent transport section 4 discharges the portion in which a foreign body is detected, which had been stopped or slowed down after analysis, to the winding section 7. Therefore, the portion that had been stopped or slowed down is discharged and transported downstream after analysis and wound up by the winding section 7, making it possible to perform X-ray analysis without stopping the transport of the sample as a whole. Therefore, even in the roll-to-roll method, the position of foreign matter can be detected while the strip-shaped sample S is continuously moved at a constant transport speed, and by intermittently and partially stopping or slowing down the portion where the foreign matter is detected, it is possible to perform accurate analysis while ensuring sufficient measurement time without reducing the overall throughput.

[0042] Furthermore, since the device is provided with a marking section 8 that marks the area where a foreign object is detected or its vicinity, the area where a foreign object is detected can be visually confirmed by the marking, making it easier to analyze the foreign object in a later process. In particular, the marking unit 8 performs marking while the sample S is stopped or moving at a slow speed in the intermittent conveying unit 4, so that the marking can be made directly on the portion where a foreign object is detected accurately while the sample S is stopped or moving at a slow speed. Furthermore, the marking unit 8 marks only the parts or the vicinity of the parts where foreign objects that meet certain conditions based on the analysis results of the foreign objects analyzed by the X-ray analysis unit 5 are detected, or marks with a specific mark. Therefore, for example, it is possible to distinguish between parts where foreign objects that will not cause problems for the product are detected and parts where foreign objects that will cause problems are detected by the presence or absence of marking or by the difference in marking.

[0043] Next, second and third embodiments of the X-ray analysis apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. In the following description of each embodiment, the same components as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the X-ray analysis unit 5 is a fluorescent X-ray analysis unit, whereas in the X-ray analysis apparatus 21 of the second embodiment, the X-ray analysis unit 25 as well as the foreign object position detection unit 3 are transmission X-ray inspection units, as shown in FIG. 3. That is, in the second embodiment, the foreign object position detection unit 3 of the foreign object inspection and analysis unit 20 is a first transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the sample S with transmitted X-rays to detect foreign objects, and the X-ray analysis unit 25 is a second transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the area where the foreign object is detected with transmitted X-rays to detect the size of the foreign object.

[0045] The X-ray analysis unit 25 of the second embodiment includes a third X-ray source 25a arranged below the sample S between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d of the intermittent conveying unit 4, a third X-ray analyzer 25b arranged opposite the third X-ray source 25a above the sample S between the second fixed roller 4b and the third fixed roller 4d, and a foreign object analysis unit 25c connected to the third X-ray analyzer 25b and transmitting information on the size of the foreign object. The third X-ray source 25a and the third X-ray analyzer 25b can be moved to a position facing the position of the foreign matter by an analysis unit moving mechanism of the XY stage.

[0046] Moreover, in the second embodiment, the marking unit 28 performs marking on the portion where the foreign object is detected only when the detected foreign object is of a size that would cause a problem in the product. The marking unit 28 of the second embodiment is disposed so as to be able to mark the sample S transported between the fourth fixed roller 4e and the second guide roller 7a. For example, if a foreign object size (outer diameter) of 100 μm or more would be problematic for the product, then if the size of the foreign object measured by the X-ray analysis unit 25, which is the second transmission X-ray inspection unit, is 100 μm or more, the marking unit 28 will mark the position of the foreign object or its vicinity, or will mark an NG mark. Conversely, if the size of the foreign object measured by the X-ray analysis unit 25 is less than 100 μm, the marking unit 28 will not mark or will mark an OK mark at the position of the foreign object or its vicinity.

[0047] Thus, in the X-ray analysis apparatus 21 of the second embodiment, the foreign object position detection unit 3 is a first transmission X-ray inspection unit that detects foreign objects by irradiating the sample S with transmitted X-rays, and the X-ray analysis unit 25 is a second transmission X-ray inspection unit that detects the size of the foreign object by irradiating the portion where the foreign object is detected with transmitted X-rays. Therefore, a more detailed analysis of the foreign object can be performed in two stages by performing rough detection to detect only the position of the foreign object using the first transmission X-ray inspection unit (foreign object position detection unit 3) while the sample S is moved, and then detecting the size of the foreign object using the second transmission X-ray inspection unit (X-ray analysis unit 25) while the sample S is stopped or moving at a slow speed.

[0048] Next, the difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the foreign object position detection unit 3 is a transmission X-ray inspection unit, whereas in the X-ray analysis apparatus 31 of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the foreign object position detection unit 33 of the foreign object inspection and analysis unit 30 is a visible light inspection unit that detects visible light from the sample S to detect foreign objects. That is, the foreign object position detection unit 3 in the third embodiment is a visible light inspection unit arranged above the sample S transported between a pair of foreign object inspection rollers 2b, and is equipped with a visible light measuring device 33b such as a CCD camera that images the surface of the sample S, and a foreign object determination unit 33c that detects foreign objects from the image of the sample S. This foreign matter position detection unit 33 captures an image of the surface state of the sample S with a visible light measuring device 33b, detects foreign matters such as dust, wrinkles, air bubbles, discolored areas, etc. with a foreign matter determination unit 33c, and transmits the positions of the foreign matters to the control unit C as foreign matter information.

[0049] As described above, in the X-ray analysis apparatus 31 of the third embodiment, the foreign object position detection unit 33 is a visible light inspection unit that detects foreign objects by detecting visible light from the sample S. Therefore, the visible light inspection unit (foreign object position detection unit 33) can check for foreign objects such as dirt, wrinkles, air bubbles, discolored areas, etc. in the sample S using visible light, and the elements that make up these foreign objects can be identified using the fluorescent X-ray analysis unit (X-ray analysis unit 5).

[0050] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the foreign matter analysis unit of the first embodiment, the X-ray source and the X-ray analyzer for the X-ray fluorescence analysis are arranged above the sample, but the X-ray source and the X-ray analyzer for the X-ray fluorescence analysis may also be arranged below the sample. In this case, even if the sample is thick, it becomes possible to perform element identification with high accuracy not only for foreign matters on the front side of the sample, but also for foreign matters on the back side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1, 21, 31... X-ray analysis device, 2... feeding section, 3, 33... foreign body position detection section, 4... intermittent conveying section, 5, 25... X-ray analysis section, 7... winding section, 8, 28... marking section, 10, 20, 30... foreign body inspection and analysis section, S... sample

Claims

1. a feeding section that continuously feeds a strip-shaped sheet sample downstream at a constant feeding speed; a foreign matter inspection and analysis unit that inspects and analyzes the foreign matter in the sample fed from the feeding unit; a winding section that winds up the sample that has passed through the foreign matter inspection and analysis section, a foreign matter position detection unit that detects the position of a foreign matter in the sample being fed out and moving from the feeding unit, an intermittent transport unit that, when a foreign object is detected by the foreign object position detection unit, causes a portion of the sample in which the foreign object is detected to intermittently stop moving downstream of the foreign object position detection unit or to move at a speed slower than the feed speed; an X-ray analysis unit that irradiates an X-ray to a portion where the foreign object that has been stopped or moved at a slow speed is detected, and analyzes the portion, The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermittent transport unit discharges the portion in which the foreign matter is detected, which has been stopped or moved at the slow speed after the analysis, to the winding unit.

2. 2. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 1, the foreign object position detection unit is a transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the sample with transmission X-rays to detect the foreign object, An X-ray analysis apparatus, wherein the X-ray analysis unit is an X-ray fluorescence analysis unit that irradiates an area where the foreign matter is detected with X-rays and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample.

3. 2. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 1, the foreign object position detection unit is a first transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates the sample with a transmission X-ray to detect the foreign object, 2. An X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray analysis unit is a second transmission X-ray inspection unit that irradiates a portion where the foreign matter is detected with transmission X-rays to detect the size of the foreign matter.

4. 2. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 1, the foreign matter position detection unit is a visible light inspection unit that detects visible light from the sample to detect the foreign matter, An X-ray analysis apparatus, wherein the X-ray analysis unit is an X-ray fluorescence analysis unit that irradiates an area where the foreign matter is detected with X-rays and detects fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample.

5. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An X-ray analysis apparatus comprising: a marking unit that marks a portion where the foreign matter is detected or in the vicinity thereof.

6. 6. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 5, 2. An X-ray analysis apparatus comprising: a marking section that performs the marking while the sample is stopped or moved at the slow speed by the intermittent transport section.

7. 6. The X-ray analysis apparatus according to claim 5, An X-ray analysis apparatus characterized in that the marking unit performs the marking only on or near the portion where the foreign matter that meets certain conditions based on the analysis results of the foreign matter analyzed by the X-ray analysis unit is detected, or performs the marking with a specific mark.

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