X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, a powerful tool for elemental analysis of materials, is continually driving breakthroughs in fields such as new energy, semiconductors, and geosciences. As research advances, scientists are no longer satisfied with static observations at ambient temperature; instead, they seek to capture, in real time and under varying temperatures, the dynamic changes in a material’s elemental composition, thereby unveiling its underlying mechanisms.

To meet this cutting-edge demand, we have successfully provided services to overseas research universities: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology A research group has custom‑designed a high‑performance variable‑temperature thermal stage. More than just a temperature‑control device, it serves as a powerful tool that helps researchers push the boundaries of scientific understanding, with the aim of advancing the development of in situ characterization techniques under variable temperatures.

Product Showcase

Technical Specifications

Cooling method: Liquid nitrogen cooling

Heating method: Resistance heating

Temperature range: -190°C to 500°C

Temperature control method: PID control (auto-tuning)

Temperature control accuracy: ±0.1

Temperature measurement resolution: 0.01℃

Heating rate: 50°C/min, continuously adjustable

Cooling rate: 30°C/min, continuously adjustable

Temperature‑controlled chamber dimensions: 150 mm × 112 mm × 35 mm (excluding the fiber‑optic interface and base)

Sample stage material: Silver

Sample stage dimensions: 30 mm × 35 mm

Front observation window size: ∅41mm

Rear observation window size: ∅25mm

Applicable sample types: powders, crystals, thin films

A core design born for rigorous spectral analysis.

1. Outstanding Temperature Performance: Stability Is the Cornerstone of Data

• Broad temperature range: The operating temperature span covers –190°C to 500°C, enabling seamless investigation across the entire spectrum—from low-temperature quantum phenomena to high-temperature phase transitions and catalytic reactions.
• Unparalleled stability: Temperature control stability better than ±0.1°C. This means that, during extended XRF mapping analyses lasting hours or even days, your sample environment remains consistently stable, fundamentally ensuring temporal consistency and reproducibility of your datasets.

2. A structural design specifically optimized for XRF spectroscopy

Careful material selection to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio: In this custom design, we chose high-purity silver as the sample‑stage material, tailored to the customer’s specific X‑ray energy range. Silver not only boasts exceptional thermal conductivity but also exhibits a low fluorescence yield for the target X‑ray energies due to its atomic number, thereby minimizing background signals originating from the sample stage and enabling the acquisition of cleaner sample fluorescence spectra.

Replaceable, custom‑designed low‑absorption observation windows: The hot/cold stage employs a composite design featuring beryllium and quartz windows, simultaneously leveraging the beryllium window’s exceptionally high X‑ray transmittance and the quartz window’s superior vacuum tightness and mechanical strength. More importantly, the observation windows are modularly engineered, allowing users to flexibly select and swap the most suitable window type based on the energy range and vacuum requirements of their specific experiment, thereby achieving an unprecedented level of experimental flexibility.

Maximizing optical path accessibility: Through a meticulously engineered mechanical design, we have achieved optimal compatibility between the X-ray incidence angle and the fluorescence emission angle. The optimized optical path ensures that both the incident beam and the fluorescence signal pass through with high efficiency, significantly enhancing signal acquisition efficiency and intensity.

Schematic diagram of the combined operation of the temperature-controlled stage and the spectrometer.

3. Reliable System Integration

• Efficient thermal management technology: By combining liquid nitrogen–based rapid cooling with high‑precision resistive heating, the system ensures swift response and precise control during temperature ramping.
• Intelligent Control: Equipped with intuitive control software, users can easily edit complex multi‑step temperature programs. (The system can be customized for hardware interlock and software integration with mainstream spectrometers, enabling fully automated simultaneous acquisition of “temperature–data” data.)

Variable-temperature spectroscopy test data

Global collaboration demonstrates the power of customized solutions.

The success of this hot-and-cold workstation stems not only from our cutting-edge engineering expertise but also from the deep, global co‑creation we foster with our customers.

From “Challenge” to “Blueprint”: At the project’s outset, our application engineers engaged in several rounds of in-depth discussions with research teams at overseas universities, gaining a precise understanding of their unique requirements for sample‑chamber volume, window materials, and cooling rates when conducting variable‑temperature in situ XAFS measurements. In response to their diverse experimental setup needs, we jointly decided on an Ag sample holder paired with a modular beryllium–quartz window configuration, a design that endows the instrument with exceptional versatility.

Exquisite manufacturing, global delivery: From the precision machining of core components to dust‑free assembly of the complete system, every stage is subject to rigorous quality control. The successful delivery of the final product and its high praise from customers demonstrate our proven capabilities and extensive experience in serving the world’s leading research institutions.

Unlock Your Next Breakthrough Discovery

This ultra-precise temperature‑controlled stage is a powerful tool for exploring the microscopic world of materials under dynamic thermal conditions. It can serve as an invaluable assistant across a wide range of cutting-edge research fields:

Energy Materials: In-situ tracking of the elemental oxidation states and migration behaviors of lithium-ion battery electrodes during charge–discharge cycling at various temperatures.

High-Temperature Superconductivity: Precise measurement of X-ray fluorescence fingerprint information for key elements in superconducting materials near their critical temperature.

Geological Science: Simulating mantle conditions to investigate elemental partitioning and melting processes in minerals under high temperature and high pressure.

Industrial Catalysis: Investigating the evolution of active sites and the deactivation mechanisms of catalysts under operating conditions.

If your research group is facing unique challenges in temperature‑dependent in situ characterization, please feel free to contact us.

Manager Peng, 13100616637 (Central China region)

Manager Peng, 18871633576 (East China region)

Manager Wang, 18171289006 (Southwest and South China)

Manager Li, 18502799852 (for other regions)

Our engineering team looks forward to collaborating with you to turn your innovative research ideas into reality.