Quorum Technologies

SPECIALISTS IN EM SAMPLE PREPARATION

OUR TECHNOLOGY

Australian vacuum services has partnered with Quorum Technologies, located in the UK who supply a series of high and medium vacuum range magnetron sputtering coating / pulsed carbon rod evaporating systems that are designed for materials science and sample preparation purposes.

These systems are widely used in the majority of universities and scientific research institutes in the field of materials science, microscopy and engineering. These systems allow one to controllably coat metals onto ceramics, semiconductors, insulators and other kind of materials. The main application is for preparation of samples for electron microscopy (EM) and also the deposition of thin film(s) for semiconductor technology.

The Quorum Technologies vacuum coating systems provide a stable sputtering environment and achieve the right experimental conditions for magnetron sputtering, carbon rod deposition and glow discharge in a very short period of time. These systems can typically sputter conductive substances on small samples or larger size wafers and can be fitted with thin film thickness (TFM) monitors for controllable deposition. Multiple magnetron head systems are also available allowing multi-layer metallisation without breaking high vacuum conditions. A range of sample holders and deposition heads are available depending on the sample size and the application.

CRYO EM Preparation systems

PP3010

Complete Cyo Preparation system with pressurised gas dewar, pumped storage, prep-dek, slusher pot, cooling dewar, pump stack, gas dryer, transfer device, prep chamber, anti-contaminator and cold stage within the scanning electron microscope.

Typical applications:

Material science such as Lithium battery and Semiconductors
Biological and life sciences
Food science
Earth and planetary science
Characterisation of samples with high moisture content including hydrogels, oleogels and bi-gels
Beauty and Cosmetics research
Characterisation of pre-frozen samples

PP3004

QuickLok - Sample transfer system for SEM, FIB-SEM,

beamline and vacuum platforms

Rapid specimen exchange
Atmosphere/inert gas to vacuum transfer
Upgrade path to PP3006 CoolLok

PP3005

SEMCool - Gas cooling system for sample stage in SEM,

FIB-SEM, beamline and vacuum platforms

Nitrogen gas cooled cold stage and anti-contaminator, ambient to -190 °C
Temperature stability: +/- 0.5 °C
Off-column cooling
Independent cooling of cold stage and anti-contaminator
Upgrade path to PP3006 CoolLok

PP3006

CoolLok - Sample transfer and gas cooling system for SEM,

FIB-SEM, beamline and vacuum platforms

Nitrogen gas cooled cold stage and anti-contaminator, ambient to -190 °C
Temperature stability: +/- 0.5 °C
Off column cooling with 24 hour run times before fills
Independent cooling of the cold stage and anti-contaminator
Atmosphere/inert gas to vacuum transfer

actively cooled transfer systems

ACT

The Actively Cooled Transfer (ACT) is specifically designed

for transferring delicate samples under both cryogenic

conditions & high vacuum or at ambient temperatures

under inert atmosphere. Its unique features include a

built-in cold stage and an anti-contaminator, ensuring that

sample integrity is maintained during the transfer process.

The ACT is equipped with a solid Magdrive transfer rod and

an attached cooling dewar, offering a highly accessible

and portable solution for your needs.

Features

Compatible with most makes and models of SEM and FIB-SEM
Can be interfaced with other devices, such as Ion Mills
Cold stage cooled to -160 °C
Anti-contaminator cooled to -180 °C
Glovebox interfacing required for inert gas transfer
Transferring materials sensitive to atmosphere, such as Battery and Fuel Cells
Operates in conjunction with the PP3010 and PP3006
Transfer in high vacuum in the region of 10-6 mbar

Recommended Workflows

Glovebox to PP3006
Glovebox to PP3010 Prep Chamber
Glovebox to Ion Mill with Cryogenic Stage
Ion Mill with Cryogenic Stage to PP3006
Ion Mill with Cryogenic Stage to PP3010 Prep Chamber
All workflows can transfer in both directions

Multi-functional Sputter and Carbon Coaters

QPlus Series

With unparalleled ease of use, the QPlus Series produces reliable and reproducible

coatings of a variety of materials. Coming in two chamber sizes, the QPlus series

can accommodate a variety of applications for SEM and FIB-SEM.

The QPlus series offers a range of coaters with options for:

Metal Sputter Coating
Metal Evaporation
Carbon Evaporation
Glow Discharge

The following systems are available to choose from:

Q150 Plus - Q150 Plus Standard Size 150 mm | Diameter Chamber

Q300 Plus - Q300 Plus Large Size 300 mm | Diameter Chamber

Q150RPlus - Rotary pumped coater

Q150TPlus -Turbomolecular pumped coater

Q150VPlus - Turbo pumped coater to achieve high quality, ultra-thin coatings

The Q150 series are available in three configurations:

S - Sputter coater. An automatic sputter coater for for noble metals and/or oxidizing metals

E - Carbon Evaporation Coater. An automatic carbon coater (rod/cord) for SEM applications

ES - Sputter and Carbon Evaporation Coater. A combined system capable of both sputtering and carbon coating

In addition, large chamber coaters are available as follows:

Q300 ES Plus - Single head sputter with a large chamber | Turbomolecular pump system

Q300T D Plus - Dual target system for multi-layer sequential sputtering of two materials

Q300T T Plus - Triple head sputter coater for coating large specimens with a single target material

A glove box integrated sputter tool is available for applications in inert environments:

Q150GB

Modular system for mounting in glove boxes
Integral glovebox pressure monitoring
Metal sputtering, carbon evaporation – or both
Remote operation from touchscreen control panel
Fine grain sputtering
High vacuum turbo pumping
Thickness control using film thickness monitor

Market-leading Sputter, evaporation and Carbon Coaters

RotaQ

The RotaQ is the latest generation of rotary pumped EM coater.

Rotary Pumped Coating System

The RotaQ is an automated and versatile rotary pumped coater offering unparalleled ease of use. Recommended for sample preparation for the examination of specimens using Electron Microscopy (EM).

Available in 3 configurations based on your application needs

RotaQ S - Sputter coater for noble metals. Au target offered as standard. Au/Pd, Ag,

Pt, Pt/Pd, Pd available as options.

RotaQ E - Evaporation coater for carbon / metal evaporation. Carbon fibre

source offered as standard.

RotaQ ES - Combined coater offering both sputter coating and carbon and

metal evaporation. Au target and carbon fibre source available as standard. Au/Pd, Ag, Pt, Pt/Pd, Pd available as options

Features

Recommended for low-medium magnification | Suitable for use with Tungsten/LaB₆ SEM and

Benchtop SEM | Rapid cycle time for maximum sample throughput | Tilt stage design giving

uniform coating of complex 3D structures | Film Thickness Monitor (FTM) to control deposition

of coating | Intuitive and responsive touchscreen colour panel design | Multi-colour LED visual status

indicator offering process updates | Pre-set recipes for standard protocols resulting in sample

reproducibility | Customizable recipes for tailored applications | Easy and quick set-up of

profiles | Multiple stage options based on application needs

TurboQ

The TurboQ is the latest generation of turbomolecular pumped EM coater.

Turbomolecular Pumped Coating System

The TurboQ is an automated and versatile turbo pumped coater offering unparalleled ease of use. Recommended for sample preparation for the examination of specimens using Electron Microscopy (EM).

Available in 3 configurations based on your application needs

TurboQ S - Sputter coater for noble and/or oxidising metals. Cr target offered as standard.

Options available: Pt, Ir, Au, W, Au/Pd, Pd, Cu, Ag, Ti, Co, Sn, ITO, Mg, Ta, Fe, Al, Mo, Ni

TurboQ E - Evaporation coater for carbon / metal evaporation. Carbon rod source offered as standard. Options available: Carbon fibre

TurboQ ES - Combined coater offering both sputter coating and carbon and metal evaporation. Cr target and carbon rod source available as standard. Options available Targets: Pt, Ir, Au, W, Au/Pd, Pd, Cu, Ag, Ti, Co, Sn, ITO, Mg, Ta, Fe, Al, Mo, Ni Evaporation source options: Carbon Fibre

Features

High vacuum instrument for ultra-high-resolution EM up to and beyond 200k | Ultra fine grain size for high-resolution analysis | Rapid cycle time for maximum sample throughput | Tilt stage design giving uniform coating of complex 3D structures | Film Thickness Monitor (FTM) to control deposition of coating | Intuitive and responsive touchscreen colour panel design | Multi-colour LED visual status indicator offering process updates | Pre-set recipes for standard protocols resulting in sample reproducibility | Customisable recipes for tailored applications | Easy and quick set-up of profiles

E Multiple stage options based on application needs

proud distributer of Quorum Technologies coaters & CRYO-EM