Solvothermal vapor annealing and environmental control setup with adjustable magnetic field module for GISAXS studies

TL;DR

This paper introduces a versatile, compact environmental chamber with adjustable magnetic field for advanced GISAXS studies of thin films, enabling precise control of atmosphere and magnetic conditions for in situ and ex situ analysis.

Contribution

It presents a novel modular design for a controlled environment chamber with integrated magnetic field capabilities for GISAXS, enhancing flexibility and precision in thin film research.

Findings

Validated temperature and vapor control performance.

Demonstrated versatility with four research examples.

Showcased integration of magnetic field module for GISAXS.

Abstract

A compact, modular environmental control and solvothermal vapor annealing chamber designed for maintaining a controlled atmosphere with regard to solvent humidity and temperature is presented. The setup allows ex situ and in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) investigations of thin film self-assembly and reorganization. Its modular slotting system enables stable reconfiguration, including the integration of an adjustable magnetic field module. The temperature is maintained via a water-based heating and cooling loop supplemented by resistive elements, and the solvent vapor environment is regulated using a commercial controlled mixing and evaporation unit. The performance of the setup is validated through measurements of fill and quench times together with magnetic field mapping with Gauss meter measurements and finite element simulations. Further, the versatility of the setup is demonstrated with four research examples using the chamber for solvothermal vapor annealing of block copolymer thin films together with lab-based ex situ and in situ GISAXS measurements. The portable new design offers robust environmental control and flexibility for advanced thin film investigations both in the lab and at large scale facilities. The design can be adapted for grazing incidence small-angle neutron scattering, GISANS.