Vacuum Compatible Products

Vacuum versions of Queensgate Nanopositioning and Nanosensing products are often available as standard products. In addition we can produce custom designs and variants where an off-the-shelf solution is not available. Our vacuum products are widely used in synchrotron, SEM, and space applications.

Careful material selection and preparation for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) prepared products

Products designed to operate in UHV conditions require careful preparation and selection of materials. As well as operating effectively in a vacuum, the products may also need to withstand cryogenic temperatures or be subjected to radiation. As well as selecting appropriate materials (eg rad-hard components) correct preparation is crucial. Ultrasonic cleaning removes oils and carbon residue from any metalwork on parts and bake-out procedures are recommended to remove any solvent residues before use.

Sensors

The UHV variant of the NX NanoSensor^® is a series of high resolution capacitive sensors constructed of either super invar, invar, stainless steel or aluminium for use to 10^-9 Torr. The NC NanoSensor^® is a new series of high-resolution capacitive sensors developed specifically for UHV, operating to 10^-10 torr. Their ceramic-gold construction has removed all adhesive bonding agents which means they can be baked out at higher temperatures for use in high radiation environments.

Closed-loop Actuators

The DPT-E-UHV range of actuators is designed with capacitive feedback control to give precise positioning. High thermal stability and super invar construction gives superior positional stability with UHV compatibility to 10^-9 Torr.

Stages

Vacuum compatible versions of Queensgate flexure guided piezo actuated stages are available and assembled using kapton wiring. The stages can be used to position optics with sub nanometer precision. If you have a high-vacuum application where you requiring a nano-positioning solution please contact us.