Shutter assembly for x-ray detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577320-B2
Application number	US-202117303895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2021
Priority date	Jun 15, 2020
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An embodiment of a shutter assembly is described that comprises a support structure with a number of stations and operatively coupled to a motor configured to translate each of the stations to a position in front of a detector, wherein a first station comprises a first aperture, a first charged particle filter, and a first window; and a second station comprises a second aperture larger than the first aperture, a second charged particle filter, and a second window thinner than the first window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shutter assembly, comprising:
a support structure comprising a plurality of stations and operatively coupled to a motor configured to translate each of the stations to a position in front of a detector, wherein:
a first station comprises a first aperture, a first charged particle filter, and a first window; and
a second station comprises a second aperture larger than the first aperture, a second charged particle filter, and a second window thinner than the first window.

2. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the support structure comprises six stations.

3. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the support structure comprises two embodiments of the first station.

4. The shutter assembly of claim 3 , wherein:
the support structure comprises two embodiments of the second station.

5. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the second window constructed with a different material from the first window.

6. The shutter assembly of claim 5 , wherein:
the first window is configured with a material that comprises beryllium.

7. The shutter assembly of claim 5 , wherein:
the second window is configured with a polymer material.

8. The shutter assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the polymer material comprises Si 3 N 4 .

9. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the support structure is substantially circular in one plane, wherein the stations are circumferentially arranged on the plane.

10. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor comprises a vacuum safe stepper motor.

11. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor is operatively coupled at a central hub of the support structure.

12. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third station comprising a solid structure.

13. An energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument, comprising:
a detector configured to produce a signal in response to one or more X-ray photons released from a product in response to an electron beam; and
a shutter assembly configured to protect the detector from emissions released from the product in response to the electron beam, wherein the shutter assembly comprises:
a support structure comprising a plurality of stations and operatively coupled to a motor configured to translate each of the stations to a position in front of the detector, wherein:
a first station comprises a first aperture, a first charged particle filter, and a first window; and
a second station comprises a second aperture larger than the first aperture, a second charged particle filter, and a second window thinner than the first window.

14. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 13 , wherein:
the support structure comprises two embodiments of the first station and two embodiments of the second station.

15. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 13 , wherein:
the second window constructed with a different material from the first window.

16. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 13 , wherein:
the first window is configured with a material that comprises beryllium and the second window is configured with a polymer material.

17. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 16 , wherein:
the polymer material comprises Si 3 N 4 .

18. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 13 , wherein:
the support structure is substantially circular in one plane, wherein the stations are circumferentially arranged on the plane.

19. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument of claim 13 , wherein:
the motor comprises a vacuum safe stepper motor.

20. An electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument, comprising:
an electron beam source configured to produce an electron beam;
a platform configured as a support upon which the electron beam additive manufacturing instrument builds a product in response to the electron beam; and
an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrument that comprises:
a detector configured to produce a signal in response to one or more X-ray photons released from the product in response to the electron beam; and
a shutter assembly configured to protect the detector from emissions released from the product in response to the electron beam, wherein the shutter assembly comprises:
a support structure comprising a plurality of stations and operatively coupled to a motor configured to translate each of the stations to a position in front of the detector, wherein:
a first station comprises a first aperture, a first charged particle filter, and a first window; and
a second station comprises a second aperture larger than the first aperture, a second charged particle filter, and a second window thinner than the first window.

21. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 20 , wherein:
the support structure comprises two embodiments of the first station and two embodiments of the second station.

22. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 20 , wherein:
the second window constructed with a different material from the first window.

23. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 20 , wherein:
the first window is configured with a material that comprises beryllium and the second window is configured with a polymer material.

24. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 23 , wherein:
the polymer material comprises Si 3 N 4 .

25. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 20 , wherein:
the support structure is substantially circular in one plane, wherein the stations are circumferentially arranged on the plane.

26. The electron-beam additive manufacturing instrument of claim 20 , wherein:
the motor comprises a vacuum safe stepper motor.

Assignees

• Thermo Electron Scient Instruments Llc

Inventors

• Morrow Justin
• Foote Steven J

Classifications

• G01N2223/313

  filters, rotating filter disc · CPC title

• G01N2223/317

  windows · CPC title

• B22F10/28 Primary

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F10/30

  Process control · CPC title

• G01N23/2252 Primary

  Measuring emitted X-rays, e.g. electron probe microanalysis [EPMA] · CPC title