External Ballistic Material Jet Source for TEM Crystal Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) lack the capability to simultaneously achieve crystal growth by ballistic material jet and observe this growth with a successful and ergonomic architecture, offering limited flexibility and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A TEM equipped with an external ballistic material jet source mounted on the column, allowing for the projection of particles with masses less than 500 atomic mass units in a sealed manner, enabling flexible and ergonomic operation by avoiding placement within the object chamber and allowing for multiple sources and directional control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the ballistic material jet source is placed inside the object chamber, then the crystal growth can be observed directly, but the space available for the source is limited and the architecture becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The source is moved from a two-dimensional plane within the object chamber to a three-dimensional external position on the column, allowing the jet to penetrate through the chamber wall. This dimensional transition resolves the space limitation while maintaining observation capability through the transparent chamber design.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber wall acts as an intermediary element that allows the jet source to be positioned externally while still enabling material delivery into the chamber. The wall incorporates a penetration opening that mediates between the external source position and the internal observation space.
2Measurement precision
If the ballistic material jet source is placed inside the object chamber, then the crystal growth can be observed, but the source becomes difficult to access for maintenance and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The source is extracted from the object chamber and repositioned on the external column surface. This extraction eliminates the accessibility problem while preserving observation capability through the chamber's transparent design, allowing maintenance without chamber disassembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ballistic material jet sources are added to the TEM, then the flexibility and versatility of the system is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The external mounting configuration on the column creates a universal platform that can accommodate multiple sources of different types and sizes. This universal interface design enables multi-functionality without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as all sources share the same mounting infrastructure.
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 configuration provides a flexible and ergonomic TEM setup for crystal growth, allowing for simultaneous or separate directional ballistic material jets, enhancing precision and ease of maintenance while maintaining a controlled environment.
Implementation Method 1
a ballistic material jet source, such as for example a ballistic molecule jet source, or else a ballistic radical jet source
Implementation Method 2
The transmission electron microscope is a well-known imaging technique, exploiting the interaction of an electron beam emitted towards a very thin sample to be imaged
Implementation Method 3
a material jet collimator which selects the particles of the material jet whose rectilinear trajectory is directed in a determined direction
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a transmission electron microscope (100; 200) comprising: - a column (102) defining an object chamber (104), - at least one ballistic material jet source (110, 202, 204, 300, 400, 500): - outside said object chamber (104), and - tightly attached to said column (102), facing an opening (304), referred to as port, provided on said column (102); characterised in that at least one jet source (110, 202, 204, 300, 400, 500) is arranged outside the column (102) and comprises a collimator of the material jet towards a predetermined direction (320), passing through the port (304) and leading into the object chamber (104) so that a portion of the material jet exits said source (110, 202, 204, 300, 400, 500) in said object chamber (104).