Our group develops novel experimental ultra-high vacuum scanning probe microscopy (UHV-SPM) equipment designed to face the most demanding challenges. In our laboratory, all the SPMs are home-made, and controlled by means of home-made electronics and software

equipment1-2

Home made 3K-UHV STM

Ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) system whose base pressure is below 5·10-11 Torr. The system is equipped with a 3K scanning tunneling microscope (3K-STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), sample and STM tip transfer and heating capabilities, an STM tip cleaning system by field emission, several interchangeable evaporation cells, a quartz crystal microbalance and an ion gun for sample cleaning purposes. The system has been optimized to measure at a base temperature of 3K in order to achieve a vey high energy resolution (≲ 100eV) by using SC tips.

Miguel M. Ugeda PhD Thesis (2011).

UHV-LT-STM/AFM + Transport

We have developed a new STM/AFM in UHV conditions specifically designed to measure, with atomic resolution, the same region of the sample from 3K to 400K, as well as measure the macroscopic electronic transport properties of the sample.

Diego Expósito; PhD Thesis (ongoing).