Beetle Family Overview

Based on the field-proven “Johnny Walker” Beetle™ design, RHK’s VT Beetle is the most mechanically and thermally stable of the many variable temperature SPM designs on the market today.

Wide VT operation from 25 K (LHe) to 1500 K is coupled with easily aligned AFM enabling a full range of techniques from advanced NC-AFM to true quantitative friction force measurements. The user can easily switch between STM and AFM in UHV, and exchange and store samples, tips, and probes in UHV. The Beetle is available in a variety of configurations from kits for atmospheric operation to complete variable temperature systems. Specialized Beetle systems from RHK provide Variable Magnetic Fields, specialized Optical access for many optical beam studies, and SEM-guided probe positioning. The Beetle can be integrated with RHK’s prep-analysis chambers for a multi-technique nanotech research platform whose performance and capabilities are unmatched.

Beetle UHV VT STM

The classic standard in VT STM, with the best stability from 25K to 1500K

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Beetle UHV VT AFM

Performance and versatility from the most mechanically and thermally stable VT SPMs available

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Beetle UHV VT VMF

Ex-vacuum electromagnets require no cooling and provide continuously variable & reversible fields up to 1 Tesla. The field can be varied real-time while imaging.

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Beetle UHV VT AFM/SEM

Bridging the gap between resolution and field of view. SEM-guided probe placement in a wide field of view, integrated with uncompromised AFM/STM resolution. Your science on target.

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Beetle Ambient STM/AFM

Atmospheric Beetle systems provide a versatile atmospheric STM/AFM-beam deflection nanotech research instrument. RHK’s thoughtful, modular design allows a straightforward, economical upgrade path to high-vacuum or UHV variable temperature capabilities when research objectives change.

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Beetle Family Institutions

Everyday, in universities and government labs around the globe, RHK research platforms lead to new discoveries in nanotechnology.

Founded in 1981, RHK Technology brings over 35 years of experience to the design and manufacture of advanced UHV SPM instruments and control electronics. Our installed base continues to grow and now includes over 175 systems and 1000 controllers.

Beetle Family Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it — let the numbers speak for themselves. Customer success is the driving reason RHK has been in business since 1981. Everyday, in university and government labs around the globe, RHK research platforms lead to new discoveries in nanotechnology. RHK Technology brings over 25 years of experience to the design and manufacture of advanced UHV SPM instruments. Explore with Confidence. RHK Beetles have been installed in over 23 Countries around the globe. This includes more than 157 institutes – and many institutes have multiple Beetle systems deployed and working to make new discoveries and breakthroughs every day. Over 100 peer-reviewed papers and countless images have been published as Beetles enable new findings and breakthrough discoveries. To put it simply: Beetles are the outstanding Nanotech Workhorse of the UHV VT SPM research community world-wide.

Beetle Family Gallery

Beetle AFM Conductive Friction Topography
Beetle AFM-STM interior with eddy-current damped spring suspension
Beetle SPM with custom IR Prep chamber
Beetle high and low temp images Si7x7
Beetle with 4 chamber for SPM LL and Prep-Analysis with ElectroSpray
Beetle with 4 chambers for SPM LL and clean and dirty Prep-Analysis
Beetle with Advanced Prep-Analysis for XPS-LEED
Beetle with In-Situ Lens for Light Coupling
Beetle with Inverted Viewport for Optical Access
Beetle with Inverted Viewport interior view of Optical Acess
Beetle with on-board SEM
RHK Beetle - SThM image + tech brief

Beetle Family Publications

With its proven, time-tested design, the Beetle SPM continues to provide a remarkable, multi-purpose platform for researchers to generate a significant number of publications today. Below is a partial bibliography with references from our Beetle users. We make every effort to include as many papers as possible, but it is unlikely that we catch them all. Please email us if you have recently published a paper using an RHK SPM or if you wish to receive more information on a specific application.