Highest Resolution Electrical Measurements

Overview

PrimeNano’s 2K LT ScanWave™ is a turnkey, industry robust solution for frontier physics research (quantum effects, phase transitions, etc.) and novel material studies (topological insulators, ferroelectrics, manganites, etc.). This system enables electrical characterization of materials at ultra-low temperatures and high magnetic field. This complete system solution reduces the researchers time to have the right equipment to get to their core research.

A complete integrated system, PrimeNano’s 2K LT ScanWave™

embedded key components from cryogenic and high magnetic field SPM industry leader Attocube systems.

A great deal of cutting edge physical investigations concerning fundamental mechanisms will frequently involve electrical measurements at low temperatures and high magnetic fields: the measurement of conductivity of novel material systems at varying temperatures was at the core of many Nobel Prize winning discoveries over the last thirty years, ranging from high temperature superconductivity (1987), quantum Hall (1985), fractional quantum Hall (1998), giant magnetoresistance (2007), and graphene (2010).  More recently, being able to image electrical properties at the nano- and meso-scale has emerged as a fertile ground for discoveries.  PrimeNano is the sole technology source for the successful and proven room temperature ScanWave™ module in a wide variety of applications at universities, national labs and industry [1-6].

Low-Temp sMIM System by PrimeNano

PrimeNano’s 2K LT ScanWave™ system utilizes key components from Attocube systems, a leader in the cryogenic and high magnetic field SPM. Key components were jointly developed and adapted for our application, while maintaining maximum compatibility. This turnkey ScanWave™ sMIM and SPM system allows researchers to focus on the research aspects without having to worry about the engineering aspects of such a complex system.

The standard system comes equipped with the 2K Low Temperature ScanWave™ sMIM electronics modules, optical interferometer feedback SPM insert, closed cycle cryostat, and superconducting magnet with computer-controlled interface. The system can be configured to have a closed loop SPM scanner, programmable closed-loop cryostat, multi-axis magnet up to 15T with liquid cryo option), and ultra-low temperature (using liquid He cryostat).

Figure 2

Left: cryostat insert with sMIM front end electronics and sMIM AFM head.

Right: Low Temp sMIM AFM with scanners, positioners and sMIM holder, sMIM matching network.

This first commercially available 2K LT ScanWave™ system implements sMIM at high field (e.g. 9 T) and variable temperature (down to ~2K). It creates an innovative experimental capability, enabling tremendous advancement in cutting edge physics research, as demonstrated by early sMIM work done at Stanford by the Shen group.

Such advances include: giant magnetoresistance characterization [7], quantum Hall effect in a 2D electron gas [8], quantum spin Hall effect [9], charge order [10], novel magnetic domain walls [11], and quantum Hall in graphene [12].

The 2K LT ScanWave™ tool provided by PrimeNano is shown in figure 2. This enables an unprecedented opportunity towards investigating and understanding the fundamental mechanisms associated with these phenomena at the nanoscale.  2K LT ScanWave™ is protected by 5 issued patents and more than 10 years of iterative product development.

The 2K LT ScanWave™ System dramatically lowers the barrier of entry to fundamental electrical measurements and will catalyze scientific discovery and advancement of materials-based technology.  Up until recently the 2K LT ScanWave™ System only existed in 2 laboratories, which are collaborating groups of PrimeNano, that have contributed to the development.  The Shen group has several publications in Science, PRL, and Nature Communications from one of the prototype cryogenic sMIM systems.  These measurements can now be adopted by a multitude of physicists, physical chemists, materials scientists, etc., spanning academia as well as industry in both R&D and QA/QC applications.

  Solid state physics and quantum effects

• Phase transitions
• Topological insulators
• Quantum Hall effect
• Quantum spin Hall effect
  
  

  Material science researches

• Ferroelectrics
• Manganites

  1D/2D materials

• Domain walls
• Graphene

General Specification

Technology

Cryostat

AFM

Electrical measurement

Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM)

Ultra-low vibration, pulse-tube based closed-cycle cryostat designed for scanning probe microscopy applications

Cantilever based AFM with interferometric deflection detection

sMIM near field measurement with DC/AC bias

Cryostat Specifications*

Temperature range

Superconducting magnet

Sample environment

Sample exchange

Usability

2..300K or 4..300K (depending on cryostat model)

9T (up to 12T optional)

Helium exchange gas

Top loading system for quick access

Fully automated temperature and magnetic field control via integrated touchscreen, USB interface for remote control

AFM Specifications**

Imaging modes

z feedback

Sample positioning travel range

Scan size

Measured RMS z-noise (constant force @ 4 K, 5 ms pixel time)

Insert Titanium housing diameter

Contact mode, non-contact mode, constant height, constant force

PI feedback loop for amplitude modulation (AM), phase modulation (PM) or frequency modulation (FM) using included PLL

5 x 5 x 5 mm3 (coarse positioning stage)

50 x 50 x 24 μm3 @ 300 K, 30 x 30 x 15 μm3 @ 4 K

< 0.10 nm (expected), < 0.15 nm (guaranteed)

48mm

sMIM Specifications

Measured parameters

Operation temperature

RF Operation frequency

Probe diameter

Spatial resolution

Electrical resolution

Microwave power to the tip

Bias

Probe

Compatible modes

S11, sMIM (C, R) sMIM-AC (dC/dV, dR/dV) Amp & Phase

1.5..300K or 4..300K (depending on cryostat model)

3GHz (nominal)

<100nm

100nm (depends on sample)

1aF

-15dBm to -45dBm

+/-5V, DC-150kHz

Proprietary coax shielded probe

MFM, KPFM, PFM, & c-AFM