Sample Manipulators in High-Vacuum

At the NANO Beamline of the ANKA Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Karlsruhe, Germany), X-ray diffraction and reflections of the synchrotron radiation can be used to investigate the structural properties of thin films under high-vacuum conditions as part of modern material research.

For direct use in the beamline, an all-in-one system has been developed where pulsed laser light is used to take the solid target to the gas phase and then deposit it as a layer on a substrate. One characteristic of the beamline PLD system is the laser heating, which can heat the substrates up to 1200 °C, and the simple loading. A special feature is the sample manipulator, which allows due to its small size a wide angle range of the X-rays even at low substrate heights.

In the sample manipulator, a Hexapod, designed by PI for use in high vacuum, positions the samples, i.e. 10 mm × 10 mm substrates, relative to the incident X-rays. This allows the sample to be tilted by ±5° around the X and Y axes at a resolution of 0.001°. In addition, to compensate for different layer thicknesses, it can be moved in the direction of the Z axis, i.e., vertically to the sample surface, by up to 3 mm. Motions of ±6 mm in the X and Y directions allow scans at different positions of the sample surface. The Hexapod is mounted on a rotary stage, which can perform further positioning tasks if required.