Sample holder for heating a sample by means of radiation from a radiation source

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention concerns a specialized sample holder designed for heating material samples using radiation—such as a laser—while minimizing the risk of sample damage. It features a radiation absorber on the back of the sample, a metallic heat bridge for efficient heat transfer, and a frame with specialized protrusions to support the sample. The frame material forms a protective ceramic layer at high temperatures, ensuring durability in harsh environments. The design allows for high-temperature operations without contaminating or breaking the sample, even in oxidizing atmospheres.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Growing or treating thin films on substrates, particularly in research and production of oxide-based electronics.
• Annealing or heat-treating materials at high temperatures in vacuum or controlled gas environments.
• Integration into thin-film deposition systems like PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition), MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy), and sputtering tools.
• Use in semiconductor manufacturing where substrates must be heated without contamination or breakage.
• High-temperature material testing in analytical instruments that require clean and consistent heating of samples.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Minimizes the risk of sample cracking or damage during rapid heating and cooling cycles, even at temperatures above 1000°C.
• Enables uniform heating of samples regardless of material's optical absorption properties, allowing use of a wide range of substrates.
• Prevents contamination of the sample from metallic evaporations, thanks to the self-healing ceramic oxide surface of the holder's frame.
• Allows for mechanical durability and easy handling in vacuum systems due to a metallic interior with a protective ceramic outer layer.
• Improves experimental accuracy and repeatability by maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of both the sample and holder after heating processes.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The holder has an absorber (5) for absorbing a radiation from a radiation source. A metallic cold bridge (4) is formed on back of a sample (3) and located between the absorber and the sample. A force exerting device exerts normal force on a stack of the sample, the cold bridge and the absorber. A frame (1) is formed with a rectangular recess (11) for the sample. Multiple projections (12) are projected as bearing points from a front side of the sample into a rectangular profile of the recess. The force exerting unit is arranged between the absorber and the frame. The frame is made of metallic alloy such as 214 (RTM: nickel-chromium-aluminum-iron alloy) alloy, which forms a ceramic oxide layer at a surface of the frame at temperatures greater than 800 degree Celsius.