A NEW APPROACH FOR AN EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH- PERFORMANCE QUARTZ-CRYSTAL MICROBALANCES (QCM)

摘要

A broad range of QCM instruments, covering different applications and project requirements, has been developed in the past by CSEM. In addition, various materials for sensing atomic oxygen were studied as an electrode coating on the crystal sensors. Due to the concentration on microelectronics technologies, an important decision to maintain these space activities was taken in transferring them to another R&D- institution, ISBE/ INTEC. The know-how transfer by the end of 1996 and the rebuilding of the complete (cleanroom) laboratory during 1997 will strengthen the former "environmental monitoring" activities including the design of contamination detection instruments such as microbalances. The modular concept of such high-performance QCM's offers the possibility for tailored constructions according to specific project requirements. This is demonstrated by a new option for industrial applications to realize cryogenic experiments using any of the different QCM models realized now by ISBE/INTEC. This device can be used in combination with the small space simulation vacuum facility developed for contamination monitoring of components as well as for the design and testing of new QCM outgassing detectors.