2D Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and hexagonal boron nitride are at the forefront of research in electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. Their unique atomic-scale structure makes them highly sensitive to environmental conditions, and while vacuum is not always required for their study, a controlled environment is often extremely beneficial. This helps to preserve material integrity and enable high-resolution characterisation. Surface-sensitive analytical methods are essential tools for understanding and developing these materials.

The analysis and fabrication of 2D materials benefit greatly from vacuum-based environments, especially when working at the atomic or molecular level. Techniques such as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) are typically performed under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) to avoid contamination and to probe chemical composition and electronic structure with high precision. These insights are crucial when tuning material properties for advanced applications in sensors, low-power transistors, or quantum devices.

At the same time, ambient-compatible tools such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nanoprobing systems are widely used to study surface topography, layer thickness, conductivity, and mechanical behavior. When integrated into gloveboxes or controlled environments, these systems allow for device fabrication and electrical testing without full vacuum infrastructure. Whether in air, inert gas, or vacuum, the choice of environment depends on the sensitivity of the material and the goals of the investigation. Together, these flexible analytical methods empower researchers to explore and apply 2D materials with confidence.

Image courtesy of Atwater research group, a customer of Imina Technologies.

Relevant products

Qtac Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) System

The Qtac is a high sensitivity Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) instrument. It is extremely surface-sensitive, providing quantitative elemental characterisation of the top atomic layer.

This instrument has been developed to include small spot analysis, surface imaging, and both static and dynamic depth profiling.

Its unique surface sensitivity makes the Qtac the perfect tool to study surface processes. The Qtac provides valuable information in many production and research areas on materials such as catalysts, semiconductors, metals, polymers, and fuel cells.

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AFM Workshop HR-2D AFM for 2D Materials / Glove Box

The HR-2D from AFM Workshop is a powerful, affordable and robust Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) designed specifically for those imaging low dimensional and 2-D materials. It has a small footprint (18x18cm and 28cm high) and is easily accommodated in a glove box. The HR2D AFM includes a stage, control electronics, probes, manuals, and a high quality video microscope with optical focus and zoom. The HR-2D AFM stage has excellent thermal and mechanical stability required for high resolution AFM scanning. Additionally, its open design facilitates user modification.

A video optical microscope in an AFM serves three functions: aligning the laser onto the cantilever in the light lever of the AFM, locating surface features for scanning, and facilitating probe approach. For viewing features on a sample’s surface, as well as facilitating probe approach, the HR-2D includes a high resolution video camera with a 5 MP CMOS camera. The camera support includes a focus mechanism with a 12 mm range.

The HR-2D AFM utilises a unique probe holder/exchange mechanism. Probes are held in place with a spring device that mates with a probe exchange tool. This combination makes changing probes fast and easy on the HR2D AFM.

The control system in the HR-2D AFM are constructed around industry-standard USB data acquisition electronics. The critical functions, such as XY scanning, are optimised with a 24-bit digital to analogue converter. With the analogue Z feedback loop, the highest fidelity scanning is possible. Vibrating mode scanning is possible with both phase and amplitude feedback using the high sensitivity phase detection electronics. Software for acquiring images is designed with the industry standard LabVIEW™ programming visual interface instrument design environment. There are many standard functions, including setting scanning parameters, probe approach, frequency tuning, and displaying images in real time. LabVIEW™ facilitates rapid development for those users seeking to enhance the software with additional special features. LabVIEW also allows the HR-2D AFM to be readily combined with any other instrument using LabVIEW.

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µFOCUS 450

This small spot source is equipped with Al anode in the standard configuration and two upgradable higher energies anodes (Ag, and Cr) for HAXPES capabilities. The µFOCUS 450 monochromator together with the XR-MC micro-focus X-ray source is perfectly suited for small spot, high resolution, and high intensity XPS measurements. The X-ray monochromator operates according to Bragg’s Law of X-ray diffraction. Each wavelength of X-rays (Al Kα, Ag Lα, Cr Kα) is reflected from individually optimized crystals at a specific angle of reflection. For the Al and Ag anodes, quartz crystal are used, which have a 450 mm and 416 mm Rowland circle diameter respectively , whereas for Cr germanium crystals are used with a 676 mm Rowland circle. Due to its overall compactness, the µFOCUS 450 is suitable for mounting on almost any analysis chambers as a bolt-on component. Furthermore, being already equipped with a Si3N4 window, by using the differentially pumped NAP extension, the µFOCUS 450 allows to carry out XPS measurements under gas atmospheres of up to 50 mbar.

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Proven-X ARPES

The ProvenX-ARPES system is a dedicated small spot ARPES analysis tool, supporting the new ASTRAIOS 190 electron analyser with single spot shifting lens, parallel single event detectors and optional 3D spin detection, as well as the UVS µFOCAL small spot UV source with optional monochromator. The sample handling is done by the SPECS Ganymed low temperature manipulator series. The system comes with a dedicated preparation chamber, a clean UHV sample storage facility and a multi sample fast entry loadlock.

System control is done by the SpecsLab Prodigy software suite with integrated remote control packages, automated sample handling and a computer based vacuum control system.

The system can be equipped with an optional small spot x-ray source for material characterization, electron sources and charge neutralization sources. Additional software and preparation tools are available.

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Imina Robot Micro (miBot™)

Imina’s Micro robots are the most important components of their probing and manipulation solutions, designed for customers who wish to use them in an optical microscope environment, or in an SEM environment where the highest level resolution is not required. They are extremely compact mobile cubes of just over 2x2cm horizontally, and with a low height of just 12.5mm above the stage they are compatible even with short working distance microscope objectives and SEMs. They are fully mobile actuators with the freedom to move at different speeds over the stage on which they sit in X, Y and rotation. Additionally the probe arm is able to move independently in Z.

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Astraios 190

The ASTRAIOS 190 is a revolutionary ARPES analyser for 2D momentum mapping. It is based on a direct k-mapping single spot shifting lens with a virtual entrance slit for ultimate k- and energy resolved measurements.

 

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Kreios150 analyser

The KREIOS 150 S is a new generation of electron spectrometers for high performance ARPES and PEEM. The unique lens system combines an immersion lens for PEEM operation with a hemispherical energy analyser scanning system for unrivaled ARPES measurements. Its lens system acquires the full half sphere of the electron emission for ultimate angular acceptance of 180°.

The KREIOS 150 S displays energy vs k-vector or energy vs spatial information directly on the detector. With the scanning lens it is possible to measure a full 3D dataset for ARPES or energy filtered PEEM. The lens system features apertures to refine the k-space into high contrast and dark field PEEM, as well as field apertures to select a spatial region for µ-ARPES down to 2 µm field of view. The kinetic energy up to 1500 eV allows XPS and XPEEM measurements. With the new CMOS detector, the KREIOS 150 S is the most performing ARPES analyser available.

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SPECS Nanonis Mimea 6th Generation

Newly-released in spring 2026, the 6th generation of the Nanonis control system builds the established pedigree of the Nanonis BP5e which has been the go-to solution for SPM control for the last 10 years. In total over 1600 Nanonis systems have been delivered to the research community since the Nanonis range was first launched over 20 years ago, serving as the technical foundation for countless scientific breakthroughs and high-impact publications. The Mimea 6th generations combines exceptional signal quality, high speed and a flexible, powerful and user-friendly software interface. The new controller builds on the exceptional performance and signal quality of the BP5 and offers 3 × reduction in broadband noise and a 8 × higher effective resolution compared to the previous generation, as well as a 7x higher data transfer rate.

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SPECS SPM Aarhus 150

The SPM Aarhus 150 is an outstandingly stable and time saving instrument. A specially-designed variable temperature scanner platform of 3 kg mass with integrated low noise liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling device guarantees the uncompromised superior SPM performance. Special care was taken to decouple the flow cooler from the sample stage and yet ensure permanent cooling connection between them. For this dedicated flexible copper braids are used to couple the extra heavy scanner platform to the flow cryostat without affecting excellent stability of the SPM Aarhus. A tight mechanical and thermal contact between sample holder and SPM stage allows for the extremely accurate sample temperature control and stability. A typical cool down times of less than 60 min to the temperatures below 130K are achieved. A typical time span of 20 min from insertion of a sample at room temperature to “ready for SPM” at below 130 K and has been shown. For temperature ramps counter heating of the sample is possible even to elevated temperatures up to 400 K. A comparably low LN2 consumption can be realized in operation as well as during the fast cool down of the cryostat from room temperature. About 20 l of LN2 is consumed during initial cool down while the typical LN2 consumption during operation at 130 K is about 10 litres per hour. Through the unification of the SPM mechanics into one STM/AFM unit, the SPM Aarhus 150 can easily be upgraded to AFM by using the KolibriSensor™. Our SPECS scanning probe microscope SPM Aarhus 150 sets a new standard by showing the highest thermal stability at variable temperatures between 90 and 400K without compromising its original mechanical stability. A direct in-situ optical access allows for the sample illumination and investigation of light induced processes. Additionally an evaporation port permits in-situ deposition on the sample surface and investigation of the growth processes during scanning.

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HOPG (Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite)

Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) is a type of pure, highly laminar graphite used as an atomic-scale calibration standard for atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy and STM). It has a very smooth, flat surface and good electrical conductivity which make it particularly suitable for STM measurements.

HOPG substrates are particularly favoured due to their easy preparation as their layered structure allows a completely new, clean, smooth and conductive surface to be prepared by removing the topmost layers using sticky tape. HOPG itself is an interesting object for STM investigations. One can measure the surface roughness, microscopic surface features, arrangement of the carbon atoms on the HOPG surface, etc. HOPG images at the atomic level can also be used for calibrating STM for high-resolution imaging. HOPG is also a useful substrate for investigation of other materials which the user wishes to investigate by AFM or STM. The surface consists of many flat areas as well as randomly located steps. Single steps have a well-defined height of 0.34 nm and can be used for calibration.
z direction.

For use in STM the main HOPG parameters are the size of crystallites and the number of interlayer defects, which, in turn, defines the number of layers splitting of the sample. The mosaic distribution of crystallites doesn’t matter, so there is no sense to make measurement of FWHM that entails additional costs for selection and certification of the samples. HOPG can also be used in X-Ray or neutron monochromator applications, in which case the mosaic spread is of primary importance, so each crystal must be certified by FWHM measured on a diffractometer.

 

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TNSiC series Stepped Silicon Carbide Sample

This 6H-SiC(0001)-based calibration sample is designed to perform easy calibrations of AFM scanner vertical movement in subnanometre intervals. A straightforward calibration process is enabled by a nearly uniform distribution of half-monolayer high (0.75 nm) steps on the sample surface, demonstrating chemical and mechanical stability. The step height corresponds to the half of lattice constant of 6H-SiC crystal in [0001] direction.

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