Device for heating a sample

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This invention describes a device for accurately heating samples in vacuum environments, such as in scientific research equipment. The device uses a sturdy, meander-shaped resistive heating element, insulated with high-temperature, vacuum-compatible materials, and features reflective shielding and cooling to manage heat efficiently and prevent contamination of the sample. The design allows for high temperatures (over 1000°C) while minimizing the risk of impurities and structural damage seen in previous systems.

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• Heating and processing samples in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) equipment for materials science and physics research.
• Preparation of samples for thin-film deposition processes such as molecular beam epitaxy or sputtering.
• Controlled thermal treatment of samples in surface science experiments.
• Annealing or cleaning of semiconductor wafers in research laboratories.
• High-temperature testing of metals or ceramics in vacuum furnaces.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Allows for stable and precise heating at very high temperatures (>1000°C) without degrading insulation or contaminating samples.
• Minimizes outgassing in vacuum, critical for maintaining clean experimental conditions.
• Resistive heating element design enables flexible and robust attachment without soldering, reducing service and contamination issues.
• Integrated reflective shielding and cooling improve energy efficiency and protect adjacent equipment.
• Easy maintenance and adaptability: modular design allows use in different apparatuses and simple replacement of thermocouple sensors.
• Suitable for both oxidizing and non-oxidizing environments due to the self-forming protective layer on the heating element.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The device for heating a sample in an apparatus in which a high vacuum is adjustable for different institutes of research center, comprises a stiff meander form heating element (1), a reception (3) for the sample, and/or a shield (22) partially covering the resistive heating element and the reception. The heating element is covered by the shield through an insulation piece (41) out of 1000[deg] C high vacuum compatible material and forms a gas tight protection layer in contact with oxygen at its surface at high temperature. The insulation piece exists out of a material separatable by laser ray. The device for heating a sample in an apparatus in which a high vacuum is adjustable for different institutes of research center, comprises a stiff meander form heating element (1), a reception (3) for the sample, and/or a shield (22) partially covering the resistive heating element and the reception. The heating element is covered by the shield through an insulation piece (41) out of 1000[deg] C high vacuum compatible material and forms a gas tight protection layer in contact with oxygen at its surface at high temperature. The insulation piece exists out of a material separatable by laser ray. The heating element is connected through a detachable coupling element with an electrical supply passing through the walls of the apparatus and covers by the reception through a further insulation piece. The shield has a reflecting surface with a reflection power of 0.9 for near infrared in a radiation direction of the heating element. The shield is equipped with a cooling device (28) and is connected through the coupling element with a cooling finger having an inlet and outlet for a coolant as the cooling device. The cooling finger is movably arranged in the wall of the apparatus. The reception of the sample has a thermo element for temperature measurement and is led with a hole through the thermo element. The device is arranged on a flange, which is inserted from the outside into the wall of the equipment.