Patent · US Active

Apparatus for evacuating a sample

US7456413B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
8References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 2005
Grant dateNov 25, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 23, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2605
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for evacuating samples. A sample 4 is hereby placed in a cavity 3 of a sheet 1 with a smooth surface 2. A sole plate 5 Is placed upon this smooth surface 2, whereby the smooth surface 2 and the sole plate 5 placed thereupon together form a vacuum seal. The sole plate 5, upon which a vacuum column 6 is mounted, can be slid across the smooth surface 2. By sliding the sole plate 5 over the cavity 4, the cavity 4 is evacuated in several steps.In an embodiment of the invention, the vacuum column 6 takes the form of an ESEM (Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope). In this way, it is possible to inspect the evacuated sample 4 with the ESEM.

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