NFFA-Europe Pilot - D15.4 - Tested liquid cells

Liquid cells equipped with on-purpose microfabricated thin silicon nitride membranes, with thickness inthe 15-25 nm range, have been successfully tested at the HAXPES endstation of the GALAXIESbeamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility. Low stress membranes have been fabricated from100 mm silicon wafers using standard lithography techniques and platinum alignment marks have beenadded to facilitate the positioning of the X-ray beam on the membrane. Two types of liquid cells havebeen used, a static one built on an Omicron-type sample holder with the liquid confined in the cellcontainer, and a circulating liquid cell, in which the liquid can flow to mitigate the effects due to beamdamage. The membranes are mechanically robust and withstand 1 bar pressure difference between theliquid inside the cell and vacuum and the intense synchrotron radiation beam during data acquisition,opening new opportunities for spectroscopic studies of liquids and dispersions of nanoparticles.