Ushio Denki

Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Gatan, Inc.

Akashi Seisakusho Ltd.

Shigeru Suzuki

Kazuya Tanaka

Reza Alani

Leszek Malaszewski

Ronald Zolkowski

Manabu Gotoh

Richard John Mitro

Barbara Louise Armbruster

Robert Michael Kozar

A side-entry specimen holder for transmission electron microscopy is provided. The specimen holder is capable of rotating a specimen and tilting it in two axes. The specimen, when mounted in the holder, can be tilted in the plus/minus direction of the X-axis, the plus/minus direction of the Y-axis, and simultaneously have the ability of 360&deg; rotation in the axis of the electron beam to permit alignment of microstructural features of the specimen for optimal viewing and analysis.

Double tilt and rotate specimen holder for a transmission electron microscope

A device to simply control a position and an amount of rotation of a carrier and to prevent a decrease of the control accuracy upon thermal expansion of the carrier. On a base (15), a carrier (16) is slidably and at the same time rotatably supported. The carrier (16) has arms (41, 42 and 43) which are driven by a respective drive element (21, 22 and 23) for each of three axes (X, X', and Y). The drive elements of each axis (21, 22, 23) are the same distance from a reference axis which functions as the center of rotation of the carrier (16). When the carrier (16) moves in the X direction, by means of the drive elements (21 and 22), two of the arms (41 and 42) are moved by the same amount. For movement in the Y direction, the third arm (43) is moved by the third of the drive elements (23). When the carrier (16) is turned, the drive elements (21, 22 and 23) move all of the arms (41, 42 and 43) the same amount in the direction in which the carrier is turned.

Carrier device

With an exposure apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to project an image of a mask in a any large number onto a band-shaped film sequentially in a longitudinal direction with high precisions in position, magnification and focus. Thus, the apparatus can be provided for fabrication of an FPC film of a high circuit density.

Exposure apparatus

A film circuit substrate exposure apparatus is disclosed, in which members movable along an optical axis such as a reticle support, a projection lens and a film pressing member are mounted on a common linear movement guide by using a linear movement driver, for instance a cross roller guide, in a predetermined spaced-apart relation to one another to set the optical axis and without inclination with respect to the optical axis. The apparatus thus pronounced practical merits such as freedom from rattling, capability of ready positioning and focusing operations, less partial out of focus or aberration of obtainable patterns, and particularly elimination of complicated operations in double side exposure.

Film circuit substrate exposure apparatus

A specimen moving or manipulating apparatus for an electron beam apparatus which comprises a specimen holder extending slideably in the direction orthogonal to the electron beam axis and mounted on a lens column or barrel defining an electron beam path rotatably relative to the lens column in a plane orthogonal to the electron beam axis, and a lever mounted on the lens column at a position in the vicinity of the distal end of the specimen holder and extending in the direction intersecting the specimen holder, the lever being adapted to move slideably the specimen holder, and a coupling member interposed between the lever member and the specimen holder for rotatable engagement with both of them to thereby operatively coupling together the lever member and the specimen holder. The coupling member has a sharp apex edge and a bottom surface and is so disposed that the apex edge bears against a lateral side of the lever member while the bottom surface is rollingly engaged with the tip end of the specimen holder. The bottom surface of the rolling coupler is curved or rounded in the direction in which the specimen holder is rotated. On the other hand, the associated end face of the specimen holder may be curved or alternatively formed flatly.

Growing community of inventors

Tachikawa, Japan

Shigeru Suzuki