Analysis apparatus and analysis method

• US 6,901,349 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SII NanoTechnology Inc. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, JOHN H
• Application Number:
  US10/644,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 702/42, 702/45, 702/99, 702/103, 702/104, 702/130, 702/182, 702/183, 700/31, 73/10.3, 73/232
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 13/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices covered by groups G01V1/00 – G01V11/00

Abstract

An analysis apparatus has a measurement head for measuring characteristics of a sample, a calibration conditions file comprising at least one calibration condition obtained by carrying out device calibration for the measurement head in advance, and a measurement head controller for designating one of the calibration conditions within the calibration conditions file. Measurement sequence data comprised of a sequence of measurement steps has measurement conditions for carrying out measurements by the measurement head and the calibration conditions designated by the measurement head controller. A measurement device refers to each measurement step of the measurement sequence data and carries out measurement after inputting the measurement conditions and the calibration conditions for each measurement step to the measurement head.

Claims

1. An analysis apparatus comprising:

a measurement head for measuring characteristics of a sample;

a calibration conditions file comprising at least one calibration condition obtained by carrying out device calibration for the measurement head in advance;

designation means for designating one of the calibration conditions within the calibration conditions file;

a measurement sequence data comprised of data representing a sequence of measurement steps comprising measurement conditions for carrying out measurements by the measurement head and the calibration conditions designated by the designation means; and

measurement means for referring to each measurement step of the measurement sequence and carrying out measurement after inputting the measurement conditions and the calibration conditions for each measurement step to the measurement head.

2. An analysis apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising means for saving calibration conditions obtained by carrying out device calibration on the measurement head in advance as a file in the calibration conditions file and designating the calibration conditions used in each measurement step in the measurement sequence using a calibration conditions file name.

3. An analysis apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the analysis apparatus is a thermal analysis apparatus; and

wherein the measurement head has a furnace for heating the sample and control means for measuring physical characteristics of the sample while varying the temperature of the furnace.

4. An analysis apparatus according to claim 2;

wherein the analysis apparatus is a thermal analysis apparatus; and

wherein the measurement head has a furnace for heating the sample and control means for measuring physical characteristics of the sample while varying the temperature of the furnace.