Focus on materials, semiconductors, vacuum, and cryogenics

Lake Shore Cryotronics has enhanced the design and made other upgrades to its 7400 series of vibrating sample magnetometers (VSM). The 7400-S series offers improved performance and measures a broader range of samples. Used to characterize the temperature dependence of magnetic material properties over a 4.2–1273 K temperature range, the VSM now provides higher field strengths in all magnet sizes. The 10-inch configuration offers 3.42 T strengths, and the smaller versions offer fields—up to 3.05 T with the 7-inch model and up to 2.63 T with the 4-inch one—that, according to the company, previously were achievable only by upgrading to a larger electromagnet. The VSM delivers faster field ramping, better field control, an updated controller with improved gaussmeter sensitivity, and quick-swap detection coils with enhanced efficiency. It features a noise floor as low as 1 × 10⁻⁷ emu at 10 s/pt sampling and moment stability of 0.05% per day. Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc, 575 McCorkle Blvd, Westerville, OH 43082,www.lakeshore.com

The CenterLine series of analog vacuum gauges from Pfeiffer Vacuum includes sensors that measure from ultrahigh vacuum to atmospheric pressure. It offers controllers with one to three measurement channels; various gauges, including Pirani, Penning, hot and cold cathode, and capacitive; pressure switches; and accessories. Some gauges have set points for better process control. The gauges are equipped with either an eight-pin FCC connector or a 15-pin D-sub connector. The CenterLine PTR 91 FullRange gauge has Pirani and cold cathode sensors integrated into a single compact housing with a display range from 5 × 10⁻⁹ mbar to 10³ mbar. The cold cathode offers a very low external magnetic field. Applications for the CenterLine gauges include research and analysis, photovoltaics, leak detection, semiconductor development and production, and vacuum process systems. Pfeiffer Vacuum Inc, 24 Trafalgar Sq, Nashua, NH 03063-1988, www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com

The latest generation of Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum’s Turbolab plug-and-play high vacuum pump systems is built on one basic design platform that allows for different configurations to suit various R&D and analytical applications. For example, combining the novel oil-free hybrid bearing design of the Turbovac i/iX turbo pumps with different combinations of dry compressing backing pumps ensures hydrocarbon-free system operation. The series includes high vacuum and dry or wet fore vacuum pumps. The systems are preassembled with a turbomolecular pump, a dry compressing or oil-sealed backing pump, and the thermoplastic polyurethane display power unit. Among the accessories that can be added are the Thermovac transmitter fore vacuum pressure gauges, the Penningvac transmitter high vacuum sensors, a purging gas valve, a venting valve, a foreline safety valve, cooling units, and a heater band. Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum GmbH, Bonner Strasse 498 (Bayenthal), 50968 Cologne, Germany, www.oerlikon.com/leyboldvacuum

Master Bond Supreme 3HTND-2CCM epoxy passes NASA low-outgassing tests and can be used in vacuum, aerospace, and clean-room applications. It is suitable for chip-coating, glob-top, and die-attach applications and for bonding, sealing, and encapsulation. The black, one-component epoxy needs no mixing, flows slightly while curing, cures readily at elevated temperatures, and exhibits low shrinkage and dimensional stability. It bonds well to substrates used in electronics, including metals, composites, ceramics, and many plastics. Serviceable from −100 °F to 400 °F, the system delivers tensile lap shear, tensile, and compressive strengths of 1800–2000 psi, 6000–7500 psi, and 15 000–17 000 psi, respectively. The electrically insulative compound has a thermal conductivity of 1.44–1.59 W/(m · K). It resists many chemicals, such as water, acids, bases, fuels, and some solvents. Its toughness allows it to withstand aggressive thermal cycling. Master Bond Inc, 154 Hobart St, Hackensack, NJ 07601, www.masterbond.com

According to Goodfellow, its screen-printable functionalized graphene ink performs better than normal carbon-based ink and may lead to innovations in applications that require very high electrical conductivity, excellent ink coverage, and high print resolution. Those applications include thin-film photovoltaics, sensors, electrodes, printed circuit boards, and organic LEDs. Made with HDPlas functionalized graphene nanoplatelets from Haydale, the ink is optimized for the viscosity and solid contents needed by semiautomatic and manual screen-printing equipment. Printable substrates include polymers, ceramics, and papers. Functionalized graphene ink is metal free, 100% organic, nontarnishing, curable at low temperatures, flexible on appropriate substrates, and environmentally friendly. It can be customized for specific applications. Goodfellow Corporation, 125 Hookstown Grade Rd, Coraopolis, PA 15108-9302, www.goodfellowusa.com

Improved Foturan II photostructurable glass wafers from Schott feature high photosensitivity and homogeneity, which allow for a high aspect ratio. Makers of RF components and MEMS can use them to create substrates with fine structures for various applications. Those include microsystems technology, semiconductors, microfluidics, micro-optics, and MEMS sensors. Structured substrates made of upgraded Foturan II allow for power inductors with a small footprint in high-frequency RF devices, a high Q factor, and high self-resonance frequency. Small-thermal-mass flow sensors with ultrafast response times and good chemical stability can be fabricated from Foturan II. The glass wafers can be used to make easily cleanable and optically transparent titer plates for biotechnology applications. Schott’s improved production process ensures high wafer reproducibility. Foturan II is available in 6- or 8-inch-round wafers and square substrates up to 200 × 200 mm with thicknesses between 0.5 mm and 1 mm. Schott North America Inc, 555 Taxter Rd, Elmsford, NY 10523, www.us.schott.com

Deposition Sciences has announced that it can provide uniform, durable optical thin-film coatings on complex shapes and substrates, including ball lenses and micro-optics, using a proprietary low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method. The high-temperature (~500 °C) process provides conformal, seamless coatings on glass, ceramic, metal, and other substrates. Featuring laser-damage threshold levels as high as 25 MW/cm², the optical coatings are suitable for use in laser and other high-energy systems such as gas, diode, and diode-pumped solid-state systems. The company’s novel LPCVD process permits the manufacture of a wide range of seamless interference filters, such as dichroic, cold mirror, single-wavelength, dual-band, and broadband antireflective coatings. Deposition Sciences Inc, 3300 Coffey Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, www.depsci.com

The expanded NanoEx family of specimen holders from FEI enables transmission electron microscope (TEM) users to observe the response of materials under mechanical, electrical, and thermal stimuli and in environmental conditions that mimic actual use. The company offers the NanoEx i/v single-tilt TEM holder, which uses MEMS-based nanoheaters for reproducible temperature control and uniform temperature distribution; the NanoEx 3D Indenter, a nanoindentation solution for mechanical strain, hardness, and tribological measurements; and the NanoEx 3D scanning tunneling microscope or electrical probe, a double-tilt TEM holder for measurements of contact current, bias, tunneling, field emission currents, and displacement. The holders are designed to work with FEI’s TEM platforms, such as the Tecnai, Talos, Titan, and Titan Themis, to provide new capabilities in in situ research, including a correlation between acquired data and applied in situ parameters. FEI, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Dr, Hillsboro, OR 97124, www.fei.com

Many materials science applications require a thermal interface material (TIM) that can easily be placed on a chip or a lid or against a heat source and a cooling solution contact plate. Indium has developed Heat-Spring, a soft metal alloy (SMA) TIM that offers high, uniform thermal resistance at low applied stresses in compressed interfaces. Its thermal conductivity is enhanced under compression of 35–100 psi. The patented SMA TIM reduces thermal resistance and enhances cooling by using two key properties of indium metal: superior thermal conductivity and malleability. Unlike standard TIMs, Heat-Spring can offer a long service life since it does not pump out under power cycling or, due to its solid state, bake out over time. According to the company, the combination of high conductance, high surface contact area, and low degradation over time ensures optimized long-term device performance with compressed interfaces. Indium Corporation, 34 Robinson Rd, Clinton, NY 13323, www.indium.com

Labsphere has augmented its diffuse reflectance materials and coatings product line with its proprietary, tailorable near-Lambertian white and gray Permaflect coatings. They are suitable for coating components used in hostile environments in which weathering and wear might affect typical reflectance coatings. Permaflect’s reflectance range is from 5% to 94%. Applications include disposable references for medical instrumentation and image sensor baseline targets. The company also offers Permaflect diffuse reflectance targets in a wide range of sizes. It claims they provide a lightweight, uniform, durable alternative to traditional targets and are superior to paper and paint in various ambient conditions. Labsphere Inc, 231 Shaker St, P. O. Box 70, North Sutton, NH 03260, www.labsphere.com

According to Princeton Instruments, its PI-MTE series represents the smallest commercially available scientific cameras designed for in-vacuum use. The cameras nevertheless provide the features and functions needed for soft x-ray spectroscopy and imaging applications. Those include x-ray microscopy, plasma diagnostics, and holography; coherent x-ray diffraction imaging; and extreme-UV lithography. Users can optimize the cameras’ ultralow-noise, wide-dynamic-range performance for specific applications. The cameras deliver flexible, multiple-speed readout capabilities. In-vacuum electrical and cooling interface technologies permit uninterrupted operation inside a vacuum chamber. The latest addition to the line features higher-sensitivity CCDs. The novel liquid-cooling design of the PI-MTE cameras cools the detector to −55 °C and virtually eliminates dark charge generated by the CCD. Princeton Instruments, 3660 Quakerbridge Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619, www.princetoninstruments.com

Bruker’s Nano Surfaces Division has made improvements, including higher speeds and higher-resolution imaging, to its established MultiMode atomic force microscope platform. Users of the MultiMode 8-HR can access a broad range of ramp frequencies for viscoelastic studies and nanomechanical assessment of materials from soft biological specimens to hard metallic samples. Enhanced PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical mapping and new FastForce Volume modes deliver new capabilities in nanomechanics. The developments in resolution, flexibility, and reliability are also available as upgrades to current MultiMode systems. The MultiMode 8-HR’s high resolution and data processing capabilities result from its combination of rigid mechanical design and advanced control electronics. The system uses Bruker’s NanoScope V controller and new version 8.2 software and features wide bandwidth and very low noise data acquisition. Bruker Nano Surfaces Division, 112 Robin Hill Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, www.bruker.com

Vacuubrand vacuum gauges from BrandTech Scientific feature corrosion-resistant transducers for laboratory applications. The Vaccu-View has a chemically resistant ceramic diaphragm sensor that provides gas-independent pressure indication in the rough vacuum range. Its capacitive transducer delivers absolute pressure readings from atmosphere to 0.075 torr. The Vaccu-View extended automatically switches between a capacitive transducer and a ceramic-sheathed Pirani transducer to provide measurements down to 10⁻³ mbar. The compact, integrated transducer and display unit allows for easy point-of-use reading; the Vaccu-Bus connection interfaces with the optional DCP3000 vacuum display unit. The gauges have KF16 small flange connections with screw-in hose barbs. All models are mercury free and have universal power supplies. BrandTech Scientific Inc, 11 Bokum Rd, Essex, CT 06426-1506, www.brandtech.com

Thermonics Corp has introduced a family of ultralow-temperature air- and water-cooled chillers suitable for continuous temperature control in laboratories and production facilities. Low‑temperature applications are found in the semiconductor, chemical, energy, aerospace, and automotive fields. The portable two-stage, cascade refrigeration chillers recirculate heat-transfer fluids at precise temperatures and provide various cooling capacities to support a particular application, up to 2.5 kW at −80 °C. Three models for each process chiller type—the W-80 water-cooled series and the A-80 air-cooled series—are offered. On-board diagnostics help predict chiller health, and an intuitive touch-screen interface allows for setting up thermal profiles, viewing data and trends, and logging diagnostics. Communications interfaces for remote chiller control include Ethernet, RS-232, and USB. Thermonics Corporation, 41 Hampden Rd, Mansfield, MA 02048, www.thermonics-chillers.com