Method and apparatus for mechanically cooling energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers
US5816052A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 6, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/28
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved X-ray spectrometer detector system includes a mechanical cooling system with a compressor connected by supply and return lines to a cryocooler connected to an X-ray dispersive spectrometer detector for an electron microscope. Within a housing containing a cryocooler heat exchanger, a heat sink thermal mass is thermally connected to a cold finger heat conducting structure which has the X-ray detector mounted at its distal end. The housing insulates the cryocooler heat exchanger and the heat sink from the external ambient. The compressor unit is operated to cool the detector to a desired low operating temperature at which precision measurements may be made. When such measurements are to be made, the compressor is turned off to minimize vibrations that could interfere with X-ray detector measurements or the operation of the electron microscope. The total heat capacity of the thermal mass of the heat sink is sufficient to cause the temperature of the detector to increase gradually while the compressor is turned off to allow a long period of time during which precision measurements may be made without any mechanical vibrations being introduced into the system from active ref…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.