Special Features
Integrated Cathodoluminescence
Embedded Optical Microscope
Cryogenic Nanoposition Stage
Time-Resolved Cathodoluminescence
Why Compromise!
- Zero Alignment
- 10 nm Spatial Resolution
- 100 x Larger Field of View
- High Collection Efficiency
- Arbitrary Positioning
- 10K – 300K
- Optical Hub
- Field Upgradable: Picosecond Pulsed Operation
Integrated Cathodoluminescence
Hybrid Microscope
Attolight’s system is a fully featured spectroscopy system with an integrated light and electron microscope. The light microscope is embedded within the electron objective lens of the electron microscope so that their field of view match each other. You position your specimen visually thanks to the light microscope and start measuring. No optical alignment is required.
Optimized for Cathodoluminescence
The entire system is optimized to achieve superior cathodoluminescence performance without compromising the scanning electron microscope specifications. Compared to existing cathodoluminescence solutions, secondary electrons are not obstructed by the collection optics, the working distance and field of view of both microscopes match each other. It all concours to the highest performances in cathodoluminescence ever achieved: superior contrast, better signal-to-noise ratio, higher space-resolution and constant high efficiency collection over the whole field of view.
Low Electron Beam Energy
Attolight’s electron optical design was tailored to achieve excellent performances at low electron beam acceleration voltages (3 to 8 kV). Within this range, the generation volume created by the electron beam stays relatively small and your cathodoluminescence maps stay sharp.
High Flexibility
Despite its high degree of integration, the system is easily upgradable and can be interfaced with other measurement tools. Like any other electron microscope, the system can host many external measurement systems, such as EDX, EBIC, etc. The embedded light microscope and the imaging spectrometer can also be coupled to external apparatus to perform experiments such as micro-photoluminescence, micro-Raman spectroscopy.
Embedded Optical Microscope
Achromatic
The light optics is reflective and fully achromatic, which means that your system is totally achromatic from UV to IR. The collection efficiency stays constant over the whole spectrum and no cumbersome realignment is required when you measure a different material. You can seamlessly work on specimens emitting at different intensities and compare results.
Large Field of View
The field of view is 100 times larger than in conventional cathodoluminescence system, offering true imaging capabilities. With its 300um, the optical field of view is designed to match the scanning range of the electron microscope. Your images are not plagued by vignetting anymore, because the light collection efficiency is constant over the whole field of view; for the first time you will obtain quantitative cathodoluminescence measurements and will be able to compare measurements from one specimen to the other. The imaging capabilities are also very convenient to verify the correct position of your specimen within the microscope.
High Numerical Aperture
A numerical aperture of 0.71 (f/0.5) insures that you collect as much light as possible out of your specimen. Since the collection efficiency is constant over the whole field of view of the objective, the average collection efficiency is over 100 times larger than for conventional cathodoluminescence apparatus.
Evolutive Optical System
An external hub lets you connect other optical elements to the system to extend its capabilities and perform experiments such as micro-photoluminescence, micro-Raman or pump and probe.
Cryogenic Nanopositioning Stage
Helium Cryostat
It features temperature control from 20K to 300K with 1nm positioning accuracy to perform temperature dependent studies. At low temperature, you will better understand the fundamental characteristics of your specimen; the emission efficiency is enhanced, which facilitates measurements on weak luminescent specimen.
Low Vibration and Low Drift
A patented mechanical design insures that temperature changes induce the smallest possible drifts of the specimen and that the cooling system does not engender vibrations. This makes hour long measurement times on low emission specimen possible.
All Possible Degrees of Freedom
To insure a proper positioning of your specimen within the focal plane of the light microscope, a 9 axis system insures an arbitrary positioning of your specimen. Go from one point to another following an arbitrary path.
Pivot Point
When adjusting the tilt of your specimen or rotating it, you can choose a pivot point. You will never again loose your region of interest.
Time-Resolved Cathodoluminescence
Local Lifetime and Charge Carrier Dynamics
The system features an optional time-resolved option for lifetime and charge carrier dynamic measurements.
Optimized for Pulsed Operation
The electron optics within the system have been optimized for picosecond pulsed operation. Space-resolution is not degraded despite the high charge density within the electron gun: a patented electron optical scheme reduces electron-electron interactions so electron pulses are not dispersed.
No Beam Blanking
The established beam blanking technology consists in deflecting the electron beam to generate electron pulses. While the beam is blanked, the beam pointing moves micrometers away: at picosecond blanking speed the space-resolution is ruined. Moreover, by chopping the beam, most of the beam current is lost. Attolight’s technology relies on a high brightness photoelectron gun that is optically driven by a picosecond laser. The electron source itself generates the train of picosecond pulses so that the space- and time-resolution is not compromised.
Field Upgradable
The system will receive the time-resolved mode upgrade at the customer’s facility to minimizes the down time. The field emitter gun is replaced by a photoelectron gun, a driving picosecond laser and a multichannel picosecond time-resolved photon detector.
