Patent ID: 8648316

Claim:
A cooling apparatus ( 101 ) for a sample in an ion beam etching process, comprising: a sample stage ( 102 ) for receiving the sample; a coolant receptacle ( 120 ) containing a coolant; a cooling finger ( 105 ) connectable to the coolant receptacle ( 120 ), the cooling finger ( 105 ) including a conduit ( 130 , 131 ) through which the coolant can flow when the cooling finger is connected to the coolant receptacle ( 120 ); at least one thermal conduction element ( 106 a , 106 b ) connecting the sample stage ( 102 ) to the coolant in the cooling finger ( 105 ) in heat-transmitting fashion such that heat is transferred from the sample stage ( 102 ) to the coolant, wherein the thermal conduction element is fabricated of a metal; an evaporator block ( 109 ) for evaporating the coolant flowing out of the cooling finger ( 105 ), wherein the conduit ( 130 , 131 ) of the cooling finger ( 105 ) opens into the evaporator block ( 109 ); a heating element ( 119 ) for heating at least the evaporator block ( 109 ); and a temperature regulation device for regulating the temperature of the evaporator block ( 109 ), wherein a signal corresponding to the temperature of the evaporator block is delivered to the temperature regulation device and the temperature regulation device regulates the temperature of the evaporator block ( 109 ) to a definable value, wherein the temperature regulation device is operable to regulate the temperature of the sample stage ( 102 ) and the temperature of the evaporator block ( 109 ) with the heating element ( 119 ) to a temperature value at which condensation of atmospheric moisture from ambient air onto the sample is prevented after completion of the ion beam etching operation.