Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Masahiko Ajima

Tomohisa Ohtaki

Akira Omachi

Mitsuru Oonuma

Shinsuke Kawanishi

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Yusuke Ominami

Sukehiro Ito

Eiko Nakazawa

Mitsuru Onuma

Takeshi Kamimura

Akira Sawaguchi

Takahito Hashimoto

Yasuke Ominami

The invention provides a method of preparing a biological tissue sample and a method of observing a biological tissue section sample that enable stereoscopic observation of a biological tissue easily and rapidly without destroying a biological tissue piece. The method of observing a biological tissue sample according to the invention is a method in which stereoscopic morphology of a biological tissue sample is observed, and the method includes: cutting out a sample having a thickness of 15 to 50 &#x3bc;m from a sample block obtained by fixing, dehydrating, and paraffin-embedding a sample cut out from a biological tissue; transferring the sample to a surface-treated slide glass; stretching the sample on the slide glass; performing deparaffinization processing; then, staining the sample with a heavy metal-based staining agent; and observing the stained sample with a scanning electron microscope.

Method of preparing biological tissue sample and method of observing biological tissue section sample

Conventional devices have been difficult to use due to insufficient consideration being given to factors such as the cost necessary for diaphragm replacement and the convenience of the work. In the present invention, a diaphragm mounting member installed in a charged particle beam device for radiating a primary charged particle beam through a diaphragm separating a vacuum space and an atmospheric pressure space onto a sample placed in the atmospheric pressure space is provided with a diaphragm installation portion to which a TEM membrane is mounted and a casing fixing portion mounted on a casing of the charged particle beam device. The diaphragm installation portion has a positioning structure for positioning a platform on which the diaphragm is held.

Diaphragm mounting member and charged particle beam device

In a SEM device which enables observations under an atmospheric pressure, in the event that a diaphragm is damaged during an observation of a sample, air flows into a charged particle optical barrel from the vicinity of the sample, due to the differential pressure between the inside of the charged particle optical barrel under vacuum and the vicinity of the sample under the atmospheric pressure. At this time, the sample may be sucked into the charged particle optical barrel. In this case, a charged particle optical system and a detector are contaminated thereby, which causes performance degradation or failures of the charged particle microscope. For coping therewith, it is necessary to prevent the charged particle optical barrel from being contaminated, without inducing a time lag, with a simple structure. In a charged particle beam device adapted to place a sample in a non-vacuum environment, there is provided a filter member which is placed on the path of a primary charged particle beam at least in a state where the primary charged particle beam is directed to the sample and, further, is adapted to transmit or pass, therethrough, the primary charged particle beam and secondary charged particles derived from the sample, while intercepting at least a portion of a scattering substance which is scattered in the event of a fracture of the diaphragm.

Charged particle beam device and filter member

A charged particle beam device () includes a charged particle optical lens barrel (), a support housing () equipped with the charged particle optical lens barrel () thereon, and an insertion housing () inserted in the support housing (). A first aperture member () is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the magnetic field of an objective lens, and a second aperture member () is disposed so as to externally close an opening part provided at the upper side of the insertion housing (). Further, when a primary charged particle beam () is irradiated to a sample () arranged under the lower side of the second aperture member (), secondary charged particles thus emitted are detected by a detector ().

Charged particle beam device

In a charged particle beam device that performs observation of a sample under a gas environment in atmospheric pressure or pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure, a diaphragm that separates an atmospheric pressure space, in which the sample is placed, and a vacuum space in an interior of an electron optical lens barrel is made very thin in order to allow an electron beam to transmit therethrough and damaged with a high possibility. Although at the time of replacing the diaphragm, it is necessary to adjust a position of a diaphragm, it is impossible to easily perform the adjustment of the position of the diaphragm by a conventional method. In a charged particle beam device with a configuration in which a thin film that separates a vacuum environment and an atmospheric environment or a gas environment is employed, a detachable diaphragm that partitions a space, in which a sample is placed, in such a manner that pressure in the space in which the sample is placed is maintained at a level larger than pressure in an interior of a housing, and that allows transmission or passage of a primary charged particle beam therethrough, and a movable member that can move the diaphragm in a state where the pressure in the space, in which the sample is placed, and the pressure in the interior of the housing are maintained as they are, are provided.

Charged particle beam device, position adjusting method for diaphragm, and diaphragm position adjusting jig

All of the conventional charged particle beam devices are designed only for the observation at atmospheric pressure or in gas atmosphere at a pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure, and there is no device enabling easy observation using a typical high-vacuum charged particle microscope at atmospheric pressure or in gas atmosphere at a pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure. Such a conventional technique has another problem that the distance between the diaphragm and a sample cannot be controlled, and so it has a high risk of breakage of the diaphragm. Then, the device of the present invention includes a diaphragm configured to separate a space to place a sample therein so that pressure of the space to place the sample therein is kept larger than pressure of the interior of the enclosure, the diaphragm letting the primary charged particle beam transmit or pass therethrough and being removable; a contact prevention member configured to prevent a contact between the sample and the diaphragm; and an adjustment mechanism configured to let at least a part of the contact prevention member in an optical axis direction of the charged particle optic column.

Charged particle beam device and sample observation method

Thin membrane holder for an electron microscope

Base of a thin membrane holder for an electron microscope

A scanning electron microscope includes a main scanning electron microscope unit having an electron optical column and a sample chamber, a controller over the main scanning electron microscope unit, a single housing that houses both the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller, and a bottom plate disposed under the single housing, the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller. A first leg member is attached to a bottom face of the bottom plate on a side of the controller with a first opening hole provided through the bottom plate on a side of the main scanning electron microscope unit, and a damper is fixed to a bottom face of the main scanning electron microscope unit and disposed through the first opening hole.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Masahiko Ajima