TEM Sample Holder Capsule Sealing Under Protecting Gas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sample transfer systems for charged particle microscopes, such as TEMs, fail to protect air-sensitive samples from exposure to ambient environments, leading to degradation or reaction, as they cannot maintain a protecting atmosphere during transfer due to the inability to seal inert gas holders in load locks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for transferring samples into and out of a TEM using a TEM sample holder that involves coupling the holder to a load lock, providing a vacuum, filling the load lock with a protecting gas, unsealing the holder capsule under the gas, and transferring the sample under controlled gas pressure, ensuring the sample remains sealed and protected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sample is transferred through a load lock in a conventional TEM system, then the transfer process can be performed, but the sample is exposed to ambient environment causing degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by filling the load lock chamber with inert gas (such as nitrogen or argon) to create a protective environment during sample transfer. The holder capsule is sealed within this inert atmosphere, preventing air-sensitive samples from contacting ambient environment. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining sample integrity while enabling transfer through the load lock.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a nested structure where the holder capsule containing the sample is placed inside the load lock chamber. The holder capsule acts as a nested container that can be sealed and transferred within the protected environment of the load lock. This nested arrangement allows the sample to remain protected while the entire assembly is manipulated for transfer.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the holder capsule is sealed under vacuum, then the sample can be protected from air, but the sample cannot be transferred under protecting gas atmosphere
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the holder capsule dynamic by enabling it to be sealed and unsealed at different stages of the transfer process. The capsule can be sealed under vacuum for protection, then unsealed in the load lock under protecting gas atmosphere, and resealed afterward. This dynamic sealing capability allows the system to adapt to different environmental requirements during transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-filling the load lock chamber with protecting gas before the holder capsule is unsealed. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the capsule is opened, the sample is immediately exposed to the protective atmosphere rather than ambient air, preventing degradation during the transfer operation.
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
The method allows for the transfer of air-sensitive samples under a protecting gas atmosphere, maintaining sample integrity by controlling environmental exposure and pressure gradients, thereby preventing damage during transfer.
Implementation Method 1
filling the load lock with a protecting gas
Implementation Method 2
providing a first vacuum in the load lock
Implementation Method 3
transferring the sample from the load lock to the vacuum chamber of the TEM
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for transferring a sample from a transmission electron microscope (TEM) column are described herein. In one aspect, a method can include transferring a sample positioned in a holder capsule of a TEM sample holder from a vacuum chamber of a TEM into a load lock of the TEM; filling the load lock with a protecting gas; sealing the holder capsule of the TEM sample holder under the protecting gas; and removing the TEM sample holder from the load lock.