Temperature stabilized sample stage for the investigation of high T_c superconductors by scanning electron microscopy

A cryogenic sample stage for scanning electron microscopes is described. The setup allows performance of measurements in the temperature range from 1.5 K to 300 K. During the measurements the sample can be irradiated directly by the electron beam. The sample temperature can be stabilized by a temperature control system with a stability of typically 1 mK over the whole temperature range. The installation of the cryogenic stage does not require any modification of the microscope chamber or the detector arrangement for most types of scanning electron microscopes. The system is well suited for spatially resolved imaging of the superconducting properties of high T_c films such as critical current density or critical temperature.