Here, we provide software and hardware design to build a thermoelectric cooler/heater (TEC) sample stage with precision temperature control. The design can be modified to fit any instrument. Our implementation is compatible with neaSNOM/neaSCOPE microscopes.
This software was designed in Python allows cross-platform operation. The current version was tested under windows 10/11 and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2
We suggest to install the software in a new Python environment as follows:
(base) > conda create --name <environment_name> --file requirements.txt
The pyMeCom Python module for the communication protocol of the Controller can be installed with pip
(base) > conda activate <environment_name>
(<environment_name>) > conda install pip
(<environment_name>) > pip install git+https://github.com/meerstetter/pyMeCom.git
Launch the main application file:
(<environment_name>) > python heaterApp.py
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Custom-made microscope stage: aluminum frame and heatsink
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Heating/Cooling element:
- Peltier element (e.g. Thorlabs TECD2S and TECF2S):
$10^\circ C<T<70^\circ C$ - Resistive heater (e.g. Thorlabs HT24S 24W ceramic heater):
$T>70^\circ C$
- Peltier element (e.g. Thorlabs TECD2S and TECF2S):
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Temperature controller (Meerstetter TEC-1091 (±4 A / ±21 V))
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Plastic box with connectors (ElectronicsBox.stl and topCover.stl file)
For application involving temperature higher then 60-70 C we suggest to use Resistive heaters OR Peltier stages WITHOUT side-sealing. The polymer used for the sealing releases acetic-acid than can damage optics and samples.
The Peltier elements are controlled with a Meerstetter TEC-1091 precision Peltier temperature controller. Product page: https://www.meerstetter.ch/products/tec-controllers/tec-1091
For easy customization and assembly, we use the screw terminal block version. For the temperature sensor, we use Pt1000 RTD (https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rtd-sensors/1699928).
You will find the STL file to 3D print the box to house the electronic board and the connections.
Our implementation looks like this:
We used a D-Sub 9 pins connector for both terminals, thus all GPIO and sensor pins of the controller are available and accessible through the two D-Sub 9 pins ports on the box. The input and the output ports are DC power plugs.
The wiring between the controller pins and the D-Sub 9 pins pins is arbitrary. Here is an example of the sensor pins/D-Sub layout.
Our version looks like this (colors and pins do not correspond to the design figure above):
In v1.0 we can accommodate two Peltier elements that we purchased from Thorlabs.
- TECD2S: https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=TECD2S
- TECF2S: https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=TECF2S
Here we provide the configuration files for our stage/peltier combinations. The configuration files can be uploaded to the controller via the TEC Service Software from the related downloads/software panel.
We provide here the two config files in this repository /Software/tecd2s_parameters.ini and /Software/tecf2s_parameters.ini
The CAD files to build the sample stage with two, replaceable Peltier elements are in the CAD directory. In v1.0 we modified a commercial heatsink to dissipate the heat when cooling, which is integrated with the sample stage as the image shows below.
Note: Upon cooling, you have to dissipate the heat that is pumped from the cool to the hot side of the peltier. This passive heat think gives only a limited dissipation, thus you cannot utilize the full range of
$\Delta T$ of the peltier. In our setup the lowest stable temperature is around 10C. Cooling performance can be improved by a liquid-cooled sample stage.
Temperature response and stability of the heating stage.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
