In Situ High Temperature Nanomechanical Tester

InSEM HT

Specifically designed for mechanical properties testing at high temperature under vacuum on small volumes of materials, without sacrificing accuracy or cost. The InSEM HT measures hardness, modulus and stiffness at high temperatures by independently heating both the tip and sample in a vacuum environment, with the ability to view real-time deformation.

Product Overview

In Situ High Temperature System: The InSEM HT combines all needed tools for high-temperature materials research with essential extras to make testing accurate and easy, delivering faster characterization with the lowest overall program cost.

The InSEM HT is compatible with SEM, Focused Ion Beam (FIB) chambers or standalone vacuum chambers. The system provides independent control of the tip and sample temperatures to maintain minimum thermal drift. The heating system is combined with a high-precision XYZ motion system that provides positioning with sub-5nm resolution using linear optical encoders. The enclosed system facilitates measurement of light-sensitive or environment-sensitive samples.

Main Features & Capabilities

High-Temperature Testing

Sample heating up to 800°C with 10mm sample size and vacuum-compatible sample mounting system for mechanical properties testing at elevated temperatures.

Independent Tip & Sample Heating

Independent control of tip and sample temperatures to maintain minimum thermal drift between the indenter tip and the testing sample for accurate measurements.

Continuous Stiffness Measurement

Measures stiffness and other material properties during the indentation cycle. At elevated temperatures, CSM delivers key insight into strain rate sensitivity and creep measurements.

NanoBlitz 3D Mapping

Quickly and quantitatively maps surface mechanical properties, generating thousands of data points for statistically significant results on rough or heterogeneous materials.

Precision Motion System

High-precision XYZ motion system provides positioning with sub-5nm resolution using linear optical encoders for accurate sample targeting.

Tip Calibration System

Unique software-integrated tip-calibration system for fast, accurate tip calibration with interchangeable tips for InForce 50 and InForce 1000 actuators.

Description & Key Benefits

High-Temperature Design

Full Sample and Tip Heating: The InSEM HT provides independent control of tip and sample temperatures in vacuum, with tip heating for capacitance displacement measurement and electromagnetic force actuation.

Data Acquisition

InQuest High-Speed Controller: Features 100kHz data acquisition rate with 20µs time constant for capturing nanoscale changes in mechanical properties during high-temperature contact.

Environment Control

Enclosed System: Facilitates measurement of light-sensitive or environment-sensitive samples with vacuum-compatible sample mounting and inert gas backfill capability.

SEM Integration

Real-Time Deformation Viewing: SEM video capture provides synchronized SEM images with data, allowing observation of real-time deformation during high-temperature testing.

System Specifications

Category	Technical Parameter	Specification Detail
Thermal	Maximum Temperature	800°C
Mechanical	Force Actuator	InForce 50 (50 mN) / InForce 1000 (1000 mN)
Electronics	Data Acquisition Rate	100 kHz
Electronics	Time Constant	20 µs
Positioning	Motion Resolution	<5 nm (XYZ linear optical encoders)
Sample	Maximum Sample Size	10 mm
Compliance	Standard	ISO 14577

Versatile Applications

High-Temperature Materials Research

Characterization of material performance at elevated temperatures for understanding deformation mechanisms and phase transformations.

Hardness & Modulus Measurement

Oliver-Pharr method for hardness and modulus determination at high temperatures on small volumes of materials.

Creep Measurement

Evaluation of time-dependent deformation at elevated temperatures with depth-time curves showing significant creep starting at ~200°C.

Strain Rate Sensitivity

Measurement of strain rate sensitivity at high temperatures using CSM for insight into material rate-dependent behavior.