Electron diffraction system for characterizing nanocrystalline structures

A system comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a vacuum;
• an upper assembly arranged within the housing and comprising:
• a sample receiver comprising:
• a base section defining an upper surface;
• and
• a sample holder rigidly mounted to the upper surface of the base section and defining a grid receptacle configured to transiently receive and retain a sample grid preloaded with a sample specimen;
• and
• a receiver platform:
• defining a mounting surface configured to slidably receive and support the sample receiver;
• and
• comprising a set of fixed rails:
• extending from the mounting surface;
• and
• configured to retain the sample receiver against the mounting surface;
• a lower assembly arranged within the housing and comprising a set of positioner stages flexibly coupled to the receiver platform and configured to drive the sample holder to a sequence of positions in order to locate the sample specimen in a target detection position intersecting an electron pathway of an electron emitter;
• and
• a cooling assembly thermally-coupled to the upper assembly and comprising:
• a storage vessel containing a volume of coolant;
• a cold finger extending through a vacuum chamber and defining a first end submerged in the volume of coolant;
• and
• a cooling braid:
• comprising a flexible, conductive material;
• defining a second end coupled the cold finger and a third end coupled to the upper assembly;
• and
• configured to communicate thermal energy from the upper assembly into the cold finger to cool the sample specimen, loaded within the grid receptacle, to temperatures within a target sample temperature range.

A system comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a vacuum;
• an upper assembly arranged within the housing and comprising:
• a sample receiver comprising:
• a base section defining an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface;
• and
• a sample holder rigidly mounted to the upper surface of the base section and defining a grid receptacle configured to transiently receive and retain a sample grid preloaded with a sample specimen;
• a receiver platform configured to transiently receive and support the sample receiver on a mounting surface and between a set of fixed rails extending from the mounting surface;
• and
• a spring element arranged proximal the mounting surface and configured to exert a spring force on the mounting surface to drive the mounting surface against a lower surface of the base section and drive the receiver platform upward into the set of fixed rails;
• a lower assembly flexibly coupled to the upper assembling and comprising a set of positioner stages configured to transiently actuate the receiver platform to drive the sample holder to a sequence of positions in order to locate the sample specimen in a target detection position intersecting an electron pathway of an electron emitter;
• and
• a cooling assembly thermally-coupled to the upper assembly and comprising:
• a storage vessel containing a volume of coolant;
• a cold finger defining a first end submerged in the volume of coolant and a second end, opposite the first end, arranged external the storage vessel;
• and
• a cooling braid:
• comprising a conductive material;
• thermally-coupled to the cold finger and to the upper assembly;
• and
• configured to communicate thermal energy from the upper assembly into the cold finger to cool the sample specimen, loaded within the grid receptacle, to temperatures within a target sample temperature range.