U.T. Austin Laboratory Facilities,

Erskine Surface Physics Group

In our Austin laboratory, we are equipped with a wide range of surface-sensitive probes, including various forms of EELS, AES, SMOKE, XPS and LEED. These instruments operate in six Ultra-High-Vacuum chambers on the premises.

These are...

THIN FILM GROWTH AND ANALYSIS CHAMBER.
SURFACE MAGNETO OPTIC KERR EFFECT CHAMBER.
HIGH - SPEED, HIGH RESOLUTION KERR POLARIMETER/MICROSCOPE.
INELASTIC ELECTRON SCATTERING SPECTROMETER.
SPOT PROFILE ANALYSIS-LOW ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION CHAMBER ..

Thin Film Growth and Analysis Chamber.

First placed in service circa 1980, this chamber incorporates double pass CMA, AES, LEED and a
home-built MBE cell with ion flux and crystal microbalance film monitors. Electron beam sample heater
and LN₂dewar allow sample termperature 80K - 2800K. Contact masks permit microstructure fabrication.

Inelastic Electron Scattering Spectrometer

The mu-metal chamber on the right houses hemispherical analyzer based monochromator and analyzers for
performing inelastic electron scattering. The preparation chamber, (left) incorporates LEED and AES
characterization tools.

SMOKE: Surface Magneto Optic Kerr Effect

Commissioned in 1985, this chamber has been the training ground of many graduate students The system
incorporates (upper level) MBE film growth with LEED/AES characterization as well as (lower level) a MOKE
polarimeter with various magnets. The system has been used to study thin magnetic films, critical exponenets
and scaling, perpendicular anisotropy, reorientation transitions, hysteresis dynamics and surface step-induced
anisotropy.

Here, its most recent graduate, "Herr Doktor" Hector Mireles makes preparations for growing Fe on a
continuously variably stepped W crystal as part of a study on Step-Induced Magnetic Anisotropy.

SPA-LEED: Spot Profile Analysis Low Energy Electron Diffraction

This high resolution LEED instrument includes a high transfer width electron gun, which is used in conjunction
with two MCP-RAE detector stacks. By observing the profile of individual electron diffraction spots, periodicities
on the surface, (such as monolayer steps as small as 7 Angstroms wide) can be quantitatively determined.

David Lacina, (shown here talking to Microsoft customer service) has been with the group since June, 2000.

High-Speed, High-Resolution Kerr Polarimeter/Microscope

This is a second-generation instrument for probing thin film magnetic properties that combines a long focal
length polarized light (Kerr) microscope / CCD camera with a high-speed (100 Ms/sec) Kerr polarimeter
with a small spot (few micron) focus.

The instrument is used to explore domain wall dynamics in ultra thin film microstructures.

High-Resolution Photoemission / Inelastic Scattering

This instrument incorporates film growth and characterization with LEED / AES (upper level) and a
high resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer and 150 mm photoemission analyzer / Helium resonance lamp,
(lower level). Both EELS and photoemission instruments achieve 5 meV energy resolution.

The instrument is used to study shallow core level, line shapes and surface phonons.

Last Revision: July 1, 2001 by Hector Mireles, hecmireles@yahoo.com
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