TEM-APT Sample Stage Assembly for Stable Specimen Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current APT sample stages are designed for independent testing requirements, leading to high costs and instability during simultaneous conventional APT and in-situ TEM-APT testing, with potential damage to fragile specimens due to linear contact surfaces and height discrepancies.
Innovation Solution
A multifunctional sample stage with a support stage, metal pressing plate, and sample mounting assembly that allows for secure fixation and transfer of specimens between conventional APT and in-situ TEM-APT testing, using a concave and convex fixing stage configuration with fasteners for stable specimen positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a detachable T-shaped sample stage is designed for in-situ TEM-APT testing, then the specimen can be transferred between TEM and APT instruments, but the linear contact surface causes instability and damage to fragile metal grid specimens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the linear contact surface with an arc-shaped contact surface on the sample stage. This curved geometry provides a larger contact area with the metal grid specimen, distributing the contact forces and preventing localized stress concentrations that cause specimen damage. The arc-shaped surface ensures stable support during specimen transfer between TEM and APT instruments.
2Reliability
If separate sample stages are developed for conventional APT testing and in-situ TEM-APT testing, then each testing requirement is met, but the cost increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The invention designs a unified sample stage that can perform both conventional APT testing and in-situ TEM-APT testing functions. The sample stage includes a metal pressing plate with adjustable pressing portions that can accommodate different specimen types (silicon wafers for conventional APT, metal grids for TEM-APT). This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate sample stages, reducing cost while meeting all testing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sample stage is divided into functional modules: a support stage, a metal pressing plate with first and second pressing portions, and a sample mounting stage assembly. Each module can be independently adjusted or configured for different testing modes, allowing the single sample stage to adapt to both conventional APT and in-situ TEM-APT requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a sample stage is designed for conventional APT testing with silicon wafer mounting, then conventional APT analysis is enabled, but the sample stage cannot mount silicon wafers used for supporting needle-shaped specimens
Solution Approach 1:
The sample stage incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable components, including the metal pressing plate with movable pressing portions and the sample mounting stage assembly that can be positioned at different locations. This dynamic design allows the sample stage to adapt its configuration for different specimen types (silicon wafers with needle-shaped specimens for conventional APT, or metal grids for in-situ TEM-APT), maintaining manufacturing precision across different modes.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to the technical field of micro-analysis of materials, and provides a multifunctional sample stage for in-situ testing with transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT). The multifunctional sample stage includes: a support stage comprising a base body, the base body having a first-step tier and a second-step tier; a metal pressing plate, wherein a first portion of the metal pressing plate is fixed to the first-step tier, and a second portion of the metal pressing plate is engageable with a silicon wafer carrying specimens disposed on the second-step tier; and a sample mounting stage assembly, which comprises a concave sample stage and a convex fixing stage, is positionable on the second-step tier, wherein a metal support grid for carrying specimens can be fixed to the sample mounting stage assembly.