LUXOR Pt - The Fully Automated Platinum Sputter Coater

Description

The LUXOR sputter coater’s advanced design, a turbomolecular pump – traditionally a complicated and vulnerable part of any high-resolution platinum coater is no longer needed. Instead, the LUXOR^Pt uses an efficient and robust dual stage pump.

The LUXOR^Pt sputter metal coater is mostly used for (FEG) SEM imaging applications up to 1000000x magnification where sample charging is an issue. The LUXOR^Pt ensures coating of SEM samples with only a few nanometers of platinum or gold with extremely small grain size. This results in crisp, clear SEM images.

The sputter coater is designed to improve secondary electron emission, allowing the microscope’s detectors to pick up more high resolution imaging details. Finally, the reduced beam penetration improves edge resolution and prevents sensitive samples from being damaged.
 


Highlights:

• Vacuum & drying modes

• Low energy dual stage pump

• Pt or Au coating with air or argon

• Process time: 1 to 600 minutes (continuously selectable)

• Maximum capacity: 7 x Ø 12.5 mm or 3 x Ø 25 mm stubs

• Au/Pt layer thickness: 1 to 100 nm (continuously selectable)

• Process chamber: Borosilicate glass Ø 100 mm x 150 mm height

• Vacuum & drying modes: 7 Pa to 150 Pa (continuously selectable)

• Average coating time: 5 minutes (based on a 10 nm gold coating)

• Average coating time: 4 – 5 minutes (based on resp. 2 nm or 4 nm platinum coating)

 

 
Feature

- Upside Down Design
The upside down concept brings many advantages. First, all high voltage an high current wires are safely hidden within the sputter device. This obviously greatly reduces the risk of electric shocks.

Next, the sample loading station is easily accessible and allows to apply or remove the samples without the need for special tongs or tweezers. This doesn’t just make everyday use easier, but also speeds up productivity.

The upside design makes sure that loose particles will be removed during the coating process. This way, your SEM is optimally protected.
 

 


- Fully Automated
The coating process is fully automated. As soon as your samples are loaded into the preparation station, you only have to choose the desired coating thickness and push the start button.

Thanks to this user-friendly process, the chance of human errors is significantly reduced. Furthermore, this means that untrained operators and lab personnel can operate the device.
 

 


 -Triple Functionality
The LUXOR coater is more than a plasma coater. It also offers a high vacuum level mode to outgas samples, and a time-based sample drying mode to dry sensitive (biological) samples.

 
 
 
Application
 

100,000x magnification of an electrospun nanofiber with gold coating (left) and with platinum coating (right) applied and a detail of a platinum coated sample at 300,000x magnification





1,000x magnification of the inner membrane of an eggshell without (left) and with (right) gold coating applied and a detail of the gold coated membrane gold at 9,600x magnification