Low vibration cryocooled system for low temperature microscopy and spectroscopy applications

• US 8,746,008 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Montana Instruments Corporation (Atlas Copco AB)
• Original Assignee: Montana Instruments Corporation (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Simmonds, Michael B., Mauritsen, Luke R., Griffing, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mendoza-Wilkenfe, Erik
• Application Number:
  US12/749,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 626/00, 625/10, 62/511, 62/6, 622/592, 626/28, 626/39, 626/57, 356/244, 356/246, 700/299, 700/300, 236/1.C, 236/91.D, 257/712, 257/716
• US Class Current: 62/510
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/16 making use of shielding gas selection of media B23K35/38
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/08 of copper or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/10 with multi-stage compression with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 19/00 Machines, plants or systems, using evaporation of a refrigerant but without recovery of the vapour
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/002 characterised by the refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/00 General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/085 from copper or copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/10 including an artificial horizon G01C1/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/28 with cooling device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vertical support rigidly mounted to a planar base positions and supports a cryocooler expander unit off axis and away from a sample to be examined. The sample support is likewise rigidly mounted to the planar base with a rigidly mounted sample housing therein. The cryocooler expander unit is suspended in the vertical support by spring dampening bearings. A pair of opposing flexible vacuum bellows connects the cryocooler expander unit to the sample housing and vertical support. This configuration isolates the sample from vibration. Flexible thermal links associated with an predictive electronic closed loop control sequence maintains sample temperature.

Claims

1. A sample mounting apparatus for low temperature microscopy and spectroscopy comprising:

a cryocooler expander unit disposed within another vacuum housing;

a sample support rigidly mounted within at least one vacuum housing, the at least one vacuum housing located off-axis and away from the cryocooler expander unit disposed within the another vacuum housing, the at least one vacuum housing connected to the another vacuum housing by first flexible bellows;

wherein the another vacuum housing in which the cryocooler expander unit is disposed is connected to a stable support by a second flexible bellows which oppose vacuum force of the first flexible bellows; and

at least one flexible thermal link comprising a plurality of strips of annealed copper flexibly connecting the cryocooler expander unit to the sample support.