Abstract:
A carrier, and an analyzing apparatus including the carrier, the carrier including a sample holder having a guide groove, a sample receiver on which to mount the sample holder, the sample receiver having a guide rail to couple with the guide groove, and a sample elevator to elevate the sample receiver up and down, to receive and discharge the sample holder, wherein the sample elevator includes a driving portion to drive the sample receiver up and down, and a vacuum chamber to maintain a vacuum in an enclosed state around the sample holder.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-55886, filed on Aug. 12, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a carrier capable of shielding a sample from moisture, and an analyzing apparatus including the carrier. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional carrier used in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  1  denotes a sample holder mounting portion, reference numeral  2  denotes an entrance, reference numeral  3  denotes a locking portion, and reference numeral  4  denotes a flange. When a sample holder (not shown) is mounted on the sample holder mounting portion  1  and a handle  5  is then turned, the sample holder mounting portion  1  moves up to be located within a chamber  6 . 
   However, while the sample holder is being mounted on the sample holder mounting portion  1 , it may collide with the entrance  2 , and, accordingly, a sample may be damaged. Also, while the locking portion  3  is being installed in an analyzing apparatus, a fixing device of the locking portion  3  may collide with the analyzing apparatus, and accordingly, the locking porting  3  may be damaged. Further, since the flange  4  is welded, if it is vacuum-destroyed by an impact, repair of the carrier is difficult. A conventional carrier used in a conventional analyzing apparatus does not have a moisture shielding function. Hence, to maintain a vacuum in a sample and shield moisture, air is blocked using an air curtain, or an analyzing apparatus is installed within a dry room or a dry box. 
     FIG. 2  is a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) picture which shows a result of analysis on a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on an Li surface made by an analyzing apparatus in which a conventional carrier is installed. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a shape of the SEI film was severely deformed due to a contact with air. Particularly, electrolyte particles in the circles indicated by arrows were cracked due to a contact with air. 
   A conventional analyzing apparatus must prevent moisture from being introduced into all of the equipment of the analyzing apparatus, thus greatly increasing maintenance costs. A conventional carrier for carrying a sample does not have a moisture shielding function, thus increasing a probability that the sample will have a contact with air. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a carrier capable of shielding a sample from moisture, and an analyzing apparatus including the carrier. 
   Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier comprising a sample holder having a guide groove, a sample receiver on which to mount the sample holder, the sample receiver having a guide rail to couple with the guide groove, and a sample elevator to elevate the sample receiver up and down, to receive and discharge the sample holder, wherein the sample elevator comprises a driving portion to drive the sample receiver up and down, and a vacuum chamber to maintain a vacuum in an enclosed state around the sample holder. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an analyzing apparatus comprising an analyzing chamber, a sample mounting portion to move a sample into the analyzing chamber, an illuminating portion to radiate an electron beam to the sample, and a detection portion to detect electrons from the sample to analyze a surface of the sample. The sample mounting portion comprises a carrier comprising a sample holder having a guide groove, a sample receiver on which to mount the sample holder, the sample receiver having a guide rail to couple with the guide groove, and a sample elevator to elevate the sample receiver up and down to receive and discharge the sample holder, wherein the sample elevator comprises a driving portion to drive the sample receiver up and down, and a vacuum chamber to maintain a vacuum in an enclosed state; a loading chamber detachably coupled to the analyzing chamber and the carrier, to load the sample holder into the analyzing chamber; and a guide bar to move the sample holder into the loading chamber. 
   The sample receiver may include a fixing pin to prevent movement of the sample holder. 
   The fixing pin may protrude upward from a bottom surface of the sample receiver. 
   The guide rail may protrude from both side surfaces of the sample receiver toward an inner area of the sample receiver. 
   The guide rail may be formed of at least one rib. 
   The sample holder may comprise a restacker in which the guide groove is formed, and a clamper coupled to an upper part of the restacker. 
   The driving portion may comprise a screw to move the sample receiver up and down, a rotating shaft to rotate the screw, and a handle coupled to the rotating shaft, to apply a rotating force to the rotating shaft. 
   The sample elevator may further comprise a locking portion to couple to an external apparatus. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional carrier; 
       FIG. 2  is a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) picture which shows a result of an analysis on a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on an Li surface made by a conventional analyzing apparatus; 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention excluding a sample holder; 
       FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of a sample holder to be included in the carrier of  FIG. 3A ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 3A  with the sample holder of  FIG. 3B ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a carrier structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of an analyzing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is an SEM picture which shows a result of an analysis on an SEI film on a Li surface made by an analyzing apparatus in which the carrier of  FIG. 4  is installed. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
     FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a carrier  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of a sample holder  31  which is included in the carrier  10 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3B , the sample holder  31  holds a sample and includes a restacker  33 , in which a guide receiving member, illustrated in this embodiment by the guide groove  32 , is formed, and a clamper  35  which is coupled to an upper part of the restacker  33 . The sample is pre-treated prior to being placed in the sample holder  31 . Because a metal such as Li is sensitive to moisture, it is stored in, for example, a desiccator, which contains a moisture absorption agent. The sample holder  31  is moved into a dry room  24  hours before the pretreatment of the sample. A carbon tape is attached to the sample holder  31 , and then a sample of an appropriate size is attached to the carbon tape. Thereafter, the attached sample is covered with a small amount of silver paste and coated with a metal such as Au, Au—Pd, Pd, Pt, and the like. When the sample holder  31  is prepared, it is mounted on the carrier  10  of  FIG. 3A . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3A , the carrier  10  includes a sample receiver  11  and a sample elevator  19 . The sample receiver  11  receives the sample holder  31 , and has a guide member, illustrated in this embodiment by the guide rail  17 , which is interlocked with the guide groove  32  of the sample holder  31 . The sample elevator  19  elevates the sample receiver  11 , and receives or discharges the sample holder  31 . The sample elevator  19  includes a driving portion (see  FIG. 5 ), which drives the sample receiver  11  up and down, and a vacuum chamber  16 , which includes the driving portion and maintains a vacuum in an enclosed state. 
   The sample receiver  11  has a space in which the sample holder  31  is mounted. The guide rail  17  guides a movement of the sample holder  31  by interlocking with the guide groove  32  of the sample holder  31 , and protrudes from left and right walls of the sample receiver  11  toward the inside of the sample receiver  11 . The guide rail  17  may be a plate as shown in  FIG. 3A , or formed of a plurality of ribs. The guide rail  17  may have various shapes, as long as it can be interlocked with the guide groove  32 . 
   A fixing member, illustrated in this embodiment by the fixing pin  18 , protrudes upward from a bottom surface of the sample receiver  11  and prevents the sample holder  31  from being separated from the sample receiver  11 . Left and right protrusions of the guide rail  17  are in the shape of plates but may be formed of a plurality of ribs to guide the sample holder  31 . An entrance  12  coupled to the sample elevator  19  is located above the sample receiver  11 . 
   The sample elevator  19  includes the vacuum chamber  16 , which creates a vacuum for the sample, the driving portion (see  FIG. 5 ), which is located within the vacuum chamber  16  and drives the sample receiver  11  up and down, and a locking portion  13 , which locks the carrier  10  to an analyzing apparatus. The handle  15  is a part of the driving portion (see  FIG. 5 ), which will be described later with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the carrier  10  in which the sample holder  31  of  FIG. 3B  is mounted on the sample receiver  11  of  FIG. 3A . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the guide groove  32  of the sample holder  31  is interlocked with the guide rail  17  of the sample receiver  11  so that the sample holder  31  is seated on the sample receiver  11 . The fixing pin  18  of the sample receiver  11  prevents the sample holder  31  from being separated from the sample receiver  11 . When the sample holder  31  is mounted on the sample receiver  11 , the handle  15  of the sample elevator  19  is turned to insert the sample receiver  11  into the sample elevator  19 . 
     FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the carrier  10  seated on a loading chamber  27 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , a sample introduction portion  20  includes the loading chamber  27 , the carrier  10 , and a guide bar  28 . The guide bar  28  clamps the sample holder  31  of the carrier  10  and moves the sample holder  31  to the sample receiver  11 .  FIG. 5  shows a driving portion  25  in the sample elevator  19  of the carrier  10 . The driving portion  25  includes a screw  21 , which moves the sample receiver  11  up and down, a rotating shaft  23 , which rotates the screw  21 , and the handle  15 , which is connected to the rotating shaft  23  and applies a rotating force to the rotating shaft  23 . As the handle  15  rotates, the rotating shaft  23  is rotated, and at the same time, the screw  21  is driven to move the sample receiver  11  up and down. 
     FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of an analyzing apparatus  60  according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the carrier  10  is installed. A process of coupling the carrier  10  to the loading chamber  27 , and moving the sample holder  31  into an analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 3A ,  5 , and  6 . 
   First, a connecting portion  24  of the loading chamber  27 , which will be interlocked with a locking portion  13  of the carrier  10 , is covered with a lid to make a vacuum in an analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60  including the loading chamber  27 . The carrier  10 , in which the sample holder  31  is loaded on the sample receiver  11 , is brought to the analyzing apparatus  60 . 
   A vacuum of the loading chamber  27  is released, and then the carrier  10  is coupled to the loading chamber  27  via the connecting portion  24 . Thereafter, the loading chamber  27  is returned to a vacuum state. Next, the loading chamber  27  is completely fixed to the chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60  by turning a fixing ring R. When the loading chamber  27  completely enters into a vacuum state, the handle  15  of the carrier  10  is turned to insert the sample receiver  11  into the loading chamber  27 . 
   The guide bar  28  is pushed into the loading chamber  27 , clamps the sample holder  31 , and moves the sample holder  31  toward the analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60 . Before the sample receiver  11  is removed from the vacuum chamber  16  of the carrier  10 , the fixing ring R is turned to open a door between the loading chamber  27  and the analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60 . Then, the guide bar  28  is pushed into the loading chamber  27  and moves the sample holder  31  to a center portion of the analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60 . The sample holder  31  is located at the center portion of the analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60 , and then the guide bar  28  is moved out of the analyzing chamber  62 . The fixing ring R is turned to close the door of the analyzing chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60  and separate the analyzing chamber  62  from the loading chamber  27 . Thereafter, the analyzing  60  apparatus is driven to analyze the sample. Removal of the sample holder  31  from the chamber  62  of the analyzing apparatus  60 , and a separation of the carrier  10  from the analyzing apparatus  60 , can be achieved by performing the above-described process in opposition. 
     FIG. 7  is an SEM picture which shows a result of an analysis on an SEI film on an Li surface made by an analyzing apparatus in which the carrier of  FIG. 4  is installed. Particles of an SEI film on an Li surface in  FIG. 7  are more uniform than that in  FIG. 2 , and were not cracked. Particularly, in the field of Li metal batteries, the analyzing apparatus including the moisture shielding carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention can prevent an SEI film, which is an important factor for performance improvement, from being damaged by moisture upon analysis. Also, the analyzing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can precisely analyze a charged positive pole and a charged negative pole that are sensitive to a humid atmosphere, thereby accurately predicting the durability of an Li battery. Furthermore, the analyzing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can be maintained in a high vacuum state by shielding humidity when various types of samples are analyzed, thereby achieving a precise analysis. 
   Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.