Surface analysis spectroscopy apparatus

Claim 2

Surface analysis apparatus comprising: (a) a substantially hermetically sealable chamber; (b) means for establishing an ultra-high vacuum environment in said chamber; (c) means for supporting a test specimen within said chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail therein; (d) a plurality of means for directing a beam at said test specimen for transfer of energy thereto, at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means adapted to direct a beam at a selected surface region of said test specimen for transfer of energy to said selected surface region; (e) means for detecting emissions from said test specimen when excited by energy transfer thereto, said emissions detecting means including means for establishing the temperature of said selected surface region when excited by energy transfer to said selected surface region from said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means; and (f) means for analysing said emissions to provide data indicative of at least surface properties of said test specimen.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means includes means for modulating the intensity of said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for focussing said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means onto said selected surface region.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for scanning or rastering said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means relative to the surface of said test specimen in accordance with a predetermined pattern.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for establishing the temperature of said selected surface region to which energy is transferred by the directing of said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means thereonto includes an infra-red detector for sensing the heat emission from said selected surface region.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber has a generally spherical region, said region having a number of narrow-angle ports, so that at least an infra-red thermal emission detector and a concentric hemispherical analyser may be mounted on said ports to substantially cluster about a specimen position.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting a test specimen within said chamber is adapted to support a test specimen at a plurality of specimen positions within said chamber; said chamber having a generally spherical region, and said region having a plurality of narrow-angle ports; the apparatus comprising an infra-red thermal emission detector mounted on one of said plurality of narrow-angle ports for detection of emission from a test specimen located at a first specimen position of said plurality of specimen positions and a concentric hemispherical analyser mounted on another of said plurality of narrow-angle ports for detection of emission from a test specimen located at said first specimen location; said chamber also having a further port, and the apparatus comprising a cylindrical mirror analyser mounted on said further port for detection of emission from a test specimen located at a second specimen position of said plurality of specimen positions, said first and second specimen positions spaced apart within said chamber, and the apparatus also comprising means for transferring a test specimen between said first and second specimen positions.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for introducing a test specimen into said chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail therein.

Claim 10

A surface analysis system comprising apparatus according to claim 1, together with computer means for processing data from said detecting means to provide output information of the system.

Claim 11

A surface analysis system according to claim 9, wherein means are provided for scanning or rastering said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means relative to the surface of said test specimen in accordance with a predetermined pattern and said computer means correlates data from said detecting means with said scanning or rastering of the beam.

Claim 12

A surface analysis system according to claim 9, wherein said computer means controls said plurality of beam-directing means to activate selected ones of said plurality of beam-directing means in dependence on the presence of certain predetermined characteristics in said emissions from said selected surface region.

Claim 13

A surface analysis method comprising the steps of: (a) supporting a test specimen within a substantially hermetically sealable chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail thereon; (b) directing a beam at a selected surface region of said test specimen for transfer of energy to said selected surface region; (c) detecting emissions from said selected surface region when excited by energy transfer thereto; (d) analysing said emissions to provide data indicative of at least surface properties of said test specimen, said emission-detecting step including establishing the temperature of said selected surface region; (e) directing a further beam at said test specimen in dependence on information about the test specimen disclosed by said emissions analysis; and (f) detecting and analysing further emissions from said test specimen resulting from the directing of said further beam thereat.

Claim 14

A surface analysis method comprising the steps of: (a) supporting a test specimen within a substantially hermetically sealable chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail thereon; (b) directing a beam at a selected surface region of said test specimen for transfer of energy to said selected surface region; (c) detecting emissions from said selected surface region when excited by energy transfer thereto; (d) analysing said emissions to provide data indicative of at least surface properties of said test specimen, said emission-detecting step including establishing the temperature of said selected surface region; (e) directing a further beam at said test specimen in dependence on information about the test specimen disclosed by said emissions analysis; and (f) detecting and analysing further emissions from said test specimen resulting from the directing of said further beam thereat.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 12, wherein said beam is modulated to apply a pulsed chopped intensity-modulated energy input to said selected surface region.

Claim 16

A cylindrical mirror analyser comprising at least one source of primary radiation for initiating a primary radiation beam, means for focussing said primary radiation beam substantially at a specimen position located substantially on the longitudinal axis of the analyser, port means for admission of a beam from a beam source to the analyser, and means for permitting said beam from said beam source to be focussed substantially at said specimen position, wherein at least one of said at least one source of primary radiation and said port means is disposed so that a beam passing through the analyser from said at least one of said at least one source of primary radiation and said port means is initially directed along a radial axis extending at substantially 90° to said longitudinal axis, and the analyser also comprises means for diverting said beam from said radial axis onto said longitudinal axis for focussing substantially at said specimen position.

Claim 17

A cylindrical mirror analyser comprising at least one source of primary radiation for initiating a primary radiation beam, means for focussing said primary radiation beam substantially at a specimen position located substantially on the longitudinal axis of the analyser, port means for admission of a beam from a beam source to the analyser, and means for permitting said beam from said beam source to be focussed substantially at said specimen position, wherein at least one of said at least one source of primary radiation and said port means is disposed so that a beam passing through the analyser from said at least one of said at least one source of primary radiation and said port means is initially directed along a radial axis extending at substantially 90° to said longitudinal axis, and the analyser also comprises means for diverting said beam from said radial axis onto said longitudinal axis for focussing substantially at said specimen position.

Claim 18

A cylindrical mirror analyser according to claim 14, wherein said at least one source of primary radiation is disposed to initially direct said primary radiation beam along said radial axis extending at substantially 90° to said longitudinal axis of the analyser, and said beam diverting means is adapted to divert said primary radiation beam onto said longitudinal axis for focussing substantially at said specimen position.

Claim 19

A cylindrical mirror analyser according to claim 14, wherein said at least one source of primary radiation is disposed to initially direct said primary radiation beam along said longitudinal axis, and said port means is disposed for admission of said beam from said beam source for initial direction of said beam along said radial axis, and said beam diverting means is adapted to selectively divert said beam from said beam source substantially onto said longitudinal axis.

Claim 20

A cylindrical mirror analyser according to claim 14, wherein said means for permitting said beam from said beam source to be focussed substantially at said specimen position includes a passage extending within the analyser from said port means in the direction of said specimen position.

Claim 21

A cylindrical mirror analyser according to claim 17, wherein said specimen position is located substantially at one axial end of the analyser, said port means is located substantially at the other axial end of the analyser, and said passage extends along the axis of the analyser.

Claim 22

Surface analysis apparatus comprising: (a) a substantially hermetically sealable chamber having at least one port; (b) means for establishing an ultra-high vacuum environment in said chamber; (c) means for supporting a test specimen within said chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail therein; (d) a plurality of means for directing a beam at said test specimen for transfer of energy thereto, at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means adapted to direct a beam at a selected surface region of said test specimen for transfer of energy to said selected surface region; (e) means for detecting emissions from said test specimen when excited by said energy transfer thereto, said emissions detecting means including means for establishing the temperature of said selected surface region when excited by energy transfer to said selected surface region from said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means and said emissions detecting means also including a cylindrical mirror anmalyser mounted on said at least one port for detecting emissions from said test specimen; and (f) means for analysing said emissions to provide data indicative of at least surface properties of said test specimen.

Claim 23

Surface analysis apparatus comprising: (a) a substantially hermetically sealable chamber having at least one port; (b) means for establishing an ultra-high vacuum environment in said chamber; (c) means for supporting a test specimen within said chamber when ultra-high vacuum conditions prevail therein; (d) a plurality of means for directing a beam at said test specimen for transfer of energy thereto, at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means adapted to direct a beam at a selected surface region of said test specimen for transfer of energy to said selected surface region; (e) means for detecting emissions from said test specimen when excited by said energy transfer thereto, said emissions detecting means including means for establishing the temperature of said selected surface region when excited by energy transfer to said selected surface region from said beam of said at least one of said plurality of beam-directing means and said emissions detecting means also including a cylindrical mirror anmalyser mounted on said at least one port for detecting emissions from said test specimen; and (f) means for analysing said emissions to provide data indicative of at least surface properties of said test specimen.