Specimen elevator for an ion milling machine
US4272682A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 10, 1979 |
| Grant date | Jun 9, 1981 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 10, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N1/32
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An ion milling machine specimen elevator comprising a vertically oriented piston which supports a specimen holder at its top and is movable between a lowered operating position and a raised viewing position. When the piston is in the lowered operating position, it is slowly rotated about its vertical axis by a suitable drive. The elongated piston passes through an O-ring seal into an evacuated ion milling or work chamber. At the bottom of the work chamber is disposed a pneumatic control cylinder into which the piston extends. The piston can be moved up or down by altering the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder. During ion milling the piston is at its lowest position in the evacuated work chamber and is held there by pressurized gas in the pneumatic control cylinder. A second small chamber is provided above the work chamber for specimen viewing and specimen exchange. The disclosed specimen elevator can move the specimen into the second chamber and at the same time provide a seal so the work chamber does not lose vacuum during specimen viewing or exchange. If it is desired to remove the specimen from the work chamber without disturbing its vacuum, the pressure in the pneumatic contro…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.