Patent ID: 8878144

Claim:
An electron microscope, comprising: a sample holder for holding a sample; a sample chamber for maintaining a surrounding area of the sample in a vacuum atmosphere; an electron beam control unit for focusing an electron beam emitted from an electron source which emits a primary electron beam and irradiating the sample with the electron beam; a detector for detecting electrons generated from the sample; a sample image control unit for forming a sample image relating to the sample based on a signal from the detector; a display unit for displaying the sample image; a recording unit for recording the sample image; a cell which includes diaphragms placed relative to upper and lower sides of the sample, which is held on the sample holder, for separating the vacuum atmosphere and a gas atmosphere of the sample chamber; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to an inside of the cell; and a gas exhaust unit for exhausting the gas from the inside of the cell, wherein: the gas exhaust unit includes a gas exhaust pipe provided in the inside of the cell and an exhaust hole provided in a sidewall of the sample holder, the exhaust hole is positioned in the inside of the sample chamber when the sample holder is inserted, the sample holder includes a seal member for sealing the exhaust hole, the exhaust hole is opened and closed by contact with the seal member as the sample holder moves, and the gas in the inside of the cell can be exhausted through both the gas exhaust pipe and the exhaust hole when the sample holder is inserted into or taken out of the sample chamber.