Inert Gas Transfer Capsule for Beam System Sample Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charged particle beam systems, such as FIB and SEM, face challenges in maintaining samples in an inert gas environment during transfer to and from vacuum chambers, leading to potential chemical reactions like oxidation or nitridation when exposed to air.
Innovation Solution
A sample transfer capsule with a container adjustable between closed and open configurations, coupled with an inert gas storage chamber and valve, maintains samples in an inert gas environment by selectively allowing inert gas flow, ensuring the sample remains sealed during transport and exposure to the beam system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If samples are transferred in open configuration, then ease of operation is improved, but sample integrity deteriorates due to exposure to atmospheric gases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by filling the container with inert gas (such as nitrogen or argon) to create a protective environment for the sample during transfer. The inert gas displaces atmospheric oxygen and other reactive gases, preventing oxidation and chemical reactions with the sample while allowing the container to remain in open configuration for ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inert gas acts as an intermediary substance between the sample and the atmospheric environment. It mediates the interaction by providing a barrier that prevents direct contact between reactive atmospheric gases and the sample, allowing transfer operations to proceed without compromising sample integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If container is sealed in closed configuration, then sample integrity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container design allows dynamic transition between closed and open configurations. The system is not static but can adapt its state based on operational requirements - closed for protection during transfer, open for loading/unloading samples - thereby resolving the contradiction between sample integrity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inert gas atmosphere is maintained within the container regardless of configuration state. Even when open for operation, the inert gas environment persists, allowing the container to be open for ease of operation while still protecting the sample through the inert atmosphere.
3Stability of the object's composition
If valve is open to allow inert gas flow, then sample protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the pressure differential between the inert gas storage chamber and the container to automatically control gas flow. When the valve is opened, inert gas flows naturally from high to low pressure without requiring active pumping or complex control mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining sample protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve serves as a simple intermediary component that controls the interface between the inert gas storage chamber and the container. This single-valve design simplifies the system compared to using multiple valves or active flow control mechanisms, achieving sample protection with minimal device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces the exposure of samples to atmospheric gases, minimizing chemical reactions and preserving the sample integrity during transfer and processing within the beam system.
Implementation Method 1
a valve configured to selectively allow the inert gas to flow from the inert gas storage chamber to the container when the container is in the closed configuration
Data Source
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AI summary
Various approaches are provided for transferring samples within an inert gas environment to and from a beam system. In one example, a sample transfer capsule includes a container configured to store a sample during transport, wherein the container is adjustable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, an inert gas storage chamber coupled to the container and configured to store an inert gas, and a valve coupled to the inert gas storage chamber and the container and configured to selectively allow the inert gas to flow from the inert gas storage chamber to the container when the container is in the closed configuration. In this way, samples may be maintained in an inert gas environment during transport and while beam system vacuum chambers are vented, thereby reducing exposure of the samples and subsequently reducing the rate of a chemical reaction, such as oxidation or nitridation, of the samples.