Abstract: A flow analyzer includes a flow container, a fluid-introducing section that introduces an introduction target fluid into the flow container, a fluid control section that performs a control process that cyclically changes the flow rate or the fluid pressure of the introduction target fluid that is introduced into the flow container from the fluid-introducing section, a discharged fluid analysis section that performs a component analysis process on a discharged fluid that has been discharged from the flow container, and a frequency analysis section that performs a frequency analysis process on a discharge profile, the discharge profile being obtained from control information about the introduction target fluid and analysis results for the discharged fluid, and representing the relationship between the component ratio in the discharged fluid and time.

Abstract: An electron microscope includes an acquisition section that acquires an electron microscope image of a specimen that includes a plurality of identical patterns, and a spectrum at each pixel of the electron microscope image, and an elemental map generation section that adds up the spectrum at each pixel of each of a plurality of areas that are included in the electron microscope image and have an identical size to generate an elemental mapping image of the specimen.

Abstract: An actuator capable of reducing vibrations of its output shaft is offered. The actuator (100) includes an electric motor (10), a ball spline (20) of finite stroke length, and a nut (32). The ball spline (20) has a shaft (22) provided with rolling grooves (23) which are formed along the axis of the spline and along which balls (24) can roll. An external thread (34) is formed on the shaft (22). The nut (32) has an internal thread (33) with which the external thread (34) threadedly mates, and operates to transmit the rotary force of the motor (10) into the shaft (22).

Abstract: An electron spectrometer includes: an energy analyzer section that energy-analyzes electrons emitted from a specimen; a micro-channel plate that amplifies the electrons analyzed by the energy analyzer section; a fluorescent screen that converts the electrons amplified by the micro-channel plate into light; a camera that photographs the fluorescent screen; and an effective range calculation section that calculates an effective range of the fluorescent screen within a camera image photographed by the camera, the effective range calculation section performing a process that acquires a plurality of the camera images photographed while causing the energy analyzer section to analyze the electrons with a different center energy, a process that converts the plurality of camera images respectively into a plurality of spectra, and a process that calculates the effective range of the fluorescent screen within the camera image based on the plurality of spectra.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a sample support membrane used to support an electron microscope sample starts with forming a first layer on a first layer of a substrate (S100). A second surface of the substrate that faces away from the first surface is etched to form an opening that exposes the first layer (S102). A second layer is formed on the first layer (S104). The region of the first layer that overlaps the opening as viewed within a plane is removed to expose the second layer (S106).

Abstract: A transmission electron microscope (100) capable of reducing the effects of stray magnetic fields includes an electron beam source (2), an illumination lens system (4) for causing the electron beam to impinge on a sample (S), a sample stage (6) for holding the sample (S), a first objective lens (8), a second objective lens (10) disposed behind the first objective lens (8), an imaging lens system (16) disposed behind the second objective lens (10), and a controller (22) configured or programmed for controlling the first objective lens (8) and the second objective lens (10). The first objective lens (8) has upper and lower polepieces disposed on opposite sides of the sample (S). The upper and lower polepieces together produce a magnetic field. The controller (22) performs an operation for controlling the second objective lens (10) to construct a TEM (transmission electron microscope) image of the sample (S) out of the electron beam transmitted through the sample (S).

Abstract: An electron microscope is offered which can adjust an energy-selecting slit in a short time by smoothly moving the slit. The electron microscope (100) includes an electron beam source (10) emitting an electron beam (EB), an energy filter (22) producing a deflecting field in the path of the electron beam (EB) to disperse the beam (EB) according to energy, a slit plate (24) disposed on an energy dispersive plane and provided with at least one energy-selecting slit (25), a current measuring section (50) for measuring the electrical current of the beam (EB) absorbed into the slit plate (24), and an energy filter controller (60) for controlling the intensity of the deflecting field of the energy filter (22) on the basis of results of measurements made by the current measuring section (50).

Abstract: An NMR sample tube is offered which can be spun at high speed stably. The NMR sample tube is adapted for use in solid-state NMR spectroscopy and includes a tubular member, spacers, and cover bodies. The spacers are disposed inside the tubular member. Each spacer has first and second surfaces located on opposite sides. The first surfaces of the spacers define a space filled up with a sample. The tubular member has openings which are closed off by the cover bodies.

Abstract: A multipole lens is provided which is for use in electron microscopy and which is simple in structure but capable of producing X- and Y-components of a quadrupole field and X- and Y-components of an octopole field. The multipole lens (100) comprises: first through twelfth polar elements (10-1 to 10-12); first through sixteenth coils (20-1 to 20-16); a first power supply (30-1) for supplying currents to the coils (20-1, 20-4, 20-9, 20-12); a second power supply (30-2) for supplying currents to the coils (20-3, 20-5, 20-11, 20-13); a third power supply (30-3) for supplying excitation currents to the coils (20-6, 20-8, 20-14, 20-16); and a fourth power supply (30-4) for supplying excitation currents to the coils (20-2, 20-7, 20-10, 20-15). The coils (20-1, 20-3, 20-6, 20-7, 20-9, 20-11, 20-14, 20-15) produce magnetic fields in a first direction. The coils (20-2, 20-4, 20-5, 20-8, 20-10, 20-12, 20-13, 20-16) produce magnetic fields in a direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A sample rack conveying unit 30 includes a sliding rail plate 53, a presser 66, a first guide plate 55, and a second guide plate 56. The sliding rail plate 53 has a groove portion 71 formed along a track on which a sample rack 90 slides and along which the sample rack 90 is conveyed. The presser 66 passes through the groove portion 71 and presses the sample rack 90. The first guide plate 55 is arranged on an outer side of a curved portion in a radial direction. The second guide plate 56 is arranged on an inner side of the curved portion in the radial direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed an NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spinner having a turbine structure and a rotor whose spinning rate can be increased. A vortical channel (44) is formed around the rotor (12). The vortical channel (44) consists of a chamber (66) and a nozzle array (68) mounted inside the chamber (66). The chamber (66) has a cross-sectional area that decreases in an upstream to downstream direction. The cross-sectional area of each nozzle also decreases in an upstream to downstream direction. Gas is introduced into the chamber (66), creating a rotating flow (76, 78, 80) in the chamber (66). Plural inwardly swirling streams are created from the inside of the rotating flow. The inwardly swirling streams are ejected from the exits of the nozzles. This results in jet streams, which are blown against the impeller of the rotor, spinning the rotor at high speed.

Abstract: A flight-of-time mass spectrometer is offered which can provide a variable range of collisional energies that can be made wider than heretofore. Also, a method of controlling this spectrometer is offered. The spectrometer has an ion source, a first mass analyzer, an ion gate, a potential lift, a collisional cell, a second mass analyzer, a detector, and a potential control portion for controlling the potential on the potential lift. When the precursor ions selected by the ion gate enter the potential lift, the potential control portion sets the potential on the conductive box at V1. When the potential on the potential lift is varied, the potential control portion varies the potential on the potential lift from V1 to V2 while precursor ions are traveling through the potential lift.

Abstract: A radiation analyzer includes a primary ray source that generates primary rays, an optical system applies the primary rays emitted from the primary ray source to a sample, an energy-dispersive radiation detector that detects radiation that has been generated from the sample when the primary rays have been applied to the sample, and a support that supports the radiation detector so that the tilt of the center axis (C) of the radiation detector with respect to the optical axis (Z) of the optical system can be changed.

Abstract: A phase analyzer includes a principal component analysis section that performs principal component analysis on elemental map data that represents an intensity or concentration distribution corresponding to each element to calculate a principal component score corresponding to each unit area of the elemental map data, a scatter diagram generation section that plots the calculated principal component score to generate a scatter diagram of the principal component score, a peak position detection section that detects a peak position from the scatter diagram, a clustering section that calculates a distance between each point and each peak position within the scatter diagram, and classifies each point within the scatter diagram into a plurality of groups based on the distance, and a phase map generation section that generates a phase map based on classification results of the clustering section.

Abstract: A specimen holder is used for an optical microscope, comprising: a specimen support that supports a specimen to enable the specimen to tilt relative to the optical axis of the optical microscope; an adjustment plate that has an observation surface for making observations using the optical microscope; and an adjustment plate support that supports the adjustment plate, so that the angle formed by the optical axis and the observation surface is larger than the angle formed by the optical axis and a specimen surface of the specimen.

Abstract: An NMR spectrometer and method in the following three steps are performed. (1) An external magnetic field is set to H0+?H (where 4H>0). When the detection coil made of the superconducting material is still in a normal state, a magnetic field stronger than the ultimate target static magnetic field strength H0 by ?H is applied to the detection coil. (2) The detection coil made of the superconducting material is cooled down to T0 lower than its critical temperature Tc to bring the coil into a superconducting state while the external magnetic field H0+?H is applied to the detection coil. (3) The external magnetic field is lowered from H0+?H to H0 such that the applied external magnetic field is decreased by ?H while the detection coil is kept in the superconducting state.

Abstract: A machine and method for additive manufacturing is offered which can eliminate static electricity of a powdered material without using an inert gas to thereby prevent scattering of the material. The additive manufacturing machine (1) has a support stage (4), a first electron gun (8), and a second electron gun (9). The first electron gun (8) melts a given region of the powdered material (M1). The second electron gun (9) illuminates the surface of a given region formed by the powdered material spread tightly on the stage (4) with an electron beam (L2) that is tilted relative to the surface to eliminate static electricity of the powdered material (M1).

Abstract: A charged particle beam instrument is offered which can introduce cooled samples easily into a sample chamber. The charged particle beam instrument (100) of the present invention has: a sample container (10) that accommodates samples (S) and a refrigerant (6) for cooling the samples (S); an evacuated sample chamber (20); a sample exchange chamber (30) connected with the sample chamber (20); a partition valve (40) disposed between the sample exchange chamber (30) and the sample container (10); and vacuum pumping equipment (50) for evacuating the sample container (10). The sample container (10) can be connected with the sample exchange chamber (30) via the partition valve (40). The sample container (10) is evacuated by the vacuum pumping equipment (50) while the partition valve (40) is closed.

Abstract: An alignment transfer section (30) transfers measurement containers (60) that align along an alignment rail (32). A step (66) of each measurement container (60) that is formed by a body and a neck comes in contact with an upper side (32a) of the alignment rail (32). The alignment rail (32) is disposed to slope downward toward the end thereof. The alignment transfer section (30) includes an upthrust plate (34) that comes in contact with the bottom of the measurement containers (60) supported by the alignment rail (32), and transfers the measurement containers (60) toward the end of the alignment rail (32) by causing the upthrust plate (34) or the alignment rail (32) to make an upward-downward motion.

Abstract: An image evaluation method includes: a template image acquisition step that designates part of a reference image to acquire a template image; a first comparative image acquisition step that acquires a first comparative image in which the position of the template image is moved in a first direction by a first moving amount relative to the reference image; a first evaluation step that performs a pattern matching process on the template image and the first comparative image and evaluates the template image; a second comparative image acquisition step that acquires a second comparative image in which the position of the template image is moved in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction by a second moving amount relative to the reference image; and a second evaluation step that performs the pattern matching process on the template image and the second comparative image and evaluates the template image.