Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for holding and aligning a scanning electron microscope sample

US6246060A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
5References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 1998
Grant dateJun 12, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/20
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus for holding and aligning a sample to be examined by a scanning electron microscope or the like includes an alignment device having base structure installable in the scanning electron microscope in a predetermined orientation. The alignment device also includes a holder for the sample which is mounted to the base structure for rotative movement about a rotation axis relative to the base structure. An adjuster is mounted on the base structure and can be manipulated to rotate the sample holder about the rotation axis. This alignment device is installed in a base holder and a video camera captures an image of the sample held by the sample holder. The image is displayed on a video monitor and the adjuster is then manipulated to rotatively align the sample to a desired orientation. The alignment device, including the sample, may then be removed from the base holder and installed in the scanning electron microscope with the sample being properly aligned.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.