Surface Analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020319229-A1
Application number	US-202016787642-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A driving mechanism relatively displaces a measuring unit and a sample table such that a relative positional relationship between the measuring unit and the sample table is switched between a first positional relationship and a second positional relationship. In the second positional relationship, the sample table is exposed to the outside from within a lower housing. A controller includes a high voltage generation circuit that generates a high voltage to be supplied to a scanner. A first mechanical switch causes a power supply not to supply a voltage to the high voltage generation circuit in the second positional relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surface analyzer comprising:
a sample table on which a sample is placed; a sample table holding unit that holds the sample table; a measuring unit including a cantilever arranged to face the sample table and a cantilever driving unit that drives the cantilever; a driving mechanism that relatively displaces the measuring unit and the sample table such that a relative positional relationship between the measuring unit and the sample table is switched between a first positional relationship and a second positional relationship; a controller; and a first mechanical switch, the sample table including a scanner and a sample placement unit, the measuring unit being housed in an upper housing, in the first positional relationship, the sample table being housed in a lower housing, in the second positional relationship, the sample table being exposed to the outside from within the lower housing, the controller including a high voltage generation circuit that is connected to a power supply and generates a high voltage to be supplied to the scanner, the first mechanical switch causing the power supply to supply a voltage to the high voltage generation circuit in the first positional relationship, and causing the power supply not to supply the voltage to the high voltage generation circuit in the second positional relationship.

2 . The surface analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
when the sample table is taken out, the driving mechanism changes the positional relationship between the sample table and the measuring unit from the first positional relationship to the second positional relationship, by relatively displacing the sample table with respect to the measuring unit such that the measuring unit and the sample table move away from each other in a first direction in which the cantilever and the sample table face each other, and then, sliding the sample table in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

3 . The surface analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
the driving mechanism includes the sample table holding unit that holds the sample table, and a movement mechanism that moves the sample table between a measurement position and a sample take-out and scanner replacement position, the first direction is an up and down direction, and the movement mechanism moves up and down the sample table holding unit such that the sample table is moved up and down between the measurement position and a retracted position located below the measurement position, and slides the sample table holding unit such that the sample table is moved between the sample take-out and scanner replacement position and the retracted position.

4 . The surface analyzer according to claim 3 , wherein
when the movement mechanism slides the sample table in the second direction and the positional relationship between the sample table and the measuring unit becomes the first positional relationship, the first mechanical switch is pressed to electrically connect the power supply and the high voltage generation circuit.

5 . The surface analyzer according to claim 3 , wherein
the measuring unit includes a laser diode, the surface analyzer further comprises a second mechanical switch that causes the power supply to supply the voltage to the laser diode in the first positional relationship, and causes the power supply not to supply the voltage to the laser diode in the second positional relationship.

6 . The surface analyzer according to claim 5 , wherein
when the movement mechanism slides the sample table in the second direction and the positional relationship between the sample table and the measuring unit becomes the first positional relationship, the second mechanical switch is pressed to electrically connect the power supply and the laser diode.

7 . The surface analyzer according to claim 3 , wherein
the movement mechanism includes a support that supports the sample table holding unit, a sliding mechanism that slides the support along a sliding direction in which the sample table holding unit slides, and a moving up and down mechanism that moves up and down the sample table holding unit with respect to the support, the support is provided to be movable in a prescribed slide section including continuous first and second sections, with slide movement of the support in the first section, the sample table holding unit is moved up and down with respect to the support by the moving up and down mechanism, with slide movement of the support in the second section, the sample table holding unit slides along the sliding direction together with the support, the surface analyzer further comprises a detector that detects a position of the support, the detector includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light emitting unit, the sliding mechanism includes a light blocking member that slides with the slide movement of the support, the detector detects the position of the support when the light emitted from the light emitting unit toward the light receiving unit is blocked by the light blocking member, and the controller controls slide movement of the sample table based on the position of the support detected by the detector.

8 . A surface analyzer comprising:
a sample table on which a sample is placed; a sample table holding unit that holds the sample table; a measuring unit including a cantilever arranged to face the sample table and a cantilever driving unit that drives the cantilever; a driving mechanism that relatively displaces the measuring unit and the sample table such that a relative positional relationship between the measuring unit and the sample table is switched between a first positional relationship and a second positional relationship; and a third mechanical switch, the measuring unit being housed in an upper housing and including a laser diode, in the first positional relationship, the sample table being housed in a lower housing, in the second positional relationship, the sample table being exposed to the outside from within the lower housing, the third mechanical switch causes a power supply to supply a voltage to the laser diode when a cover of the upper housing is closed, and causes the power supply not to supply the voltage to the laser diode when the cover of the upper housing is opened.

9 . The surface analyzer according to claim 8 , wherein
when the cover is closed, the third mechanical switch is pressed to electrically connect the power supply and the laser diode.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Fujino Keita

Classifications

• G01Q30/00

  Auxiliary means serving to assist or improve the scanning probe techniques or apparatus, e.g. display or data processing devices · CPC title

• G01Q60/00 Primary

  Particular types of SPM [Scanning Probe Microscopy] or microscopes; Essential components thereof · CPC title

• G01Q30/20 Primary

  Sample handling devices or methods · CPC title

• G01Q10/045 Primary

  Self-actuating probes, i.e. wherein the actuating means for driving are part of the probe itself, e.g. piezoelectric means on a cantilever probe · CPC title

• G01Q20/02

  by optical means · CPC title