[labnetwork] Benchtop ultrasonicator suggestions

[Kevin McPeak]

Dear Colleagues,

My lab at ETH is interested in purchasing a benchtop ultrasonicator
primarily for cleaning Si (sometimes flat, sometimes with nanoscale
features) and for sonicating during KOH etching (at 60 - 70 C). We
currently have two Thermo Branson units (40 kHz) in the lab but they
aren't able to heat past 55 C.

Do any of you have suggestions on the following:

1). Recommended manufacturers (I have had good experience with a Crest
unit in the past but other than that I am reliant on google searching)

2). Recommended frequencies (it seems that higher is better in general
but we can't afford megasonic transducers - budget is max 3K CHF)
     As I mentioned we have two 40 kHz units. 132 kHz appears to be an
affordable alternative, anyone have experience with this frequency?

3). Multi-frequency devices with a single transducer - is this a good
idea or should each frequency really have its own transducer to
maximize efficiency?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.

Regards,
Kevin McPeak

-- 
Kevin McPeak Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
ETH Zürich
Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory
Universitätstrasse 6, CNB F121
CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Voice: +41 44 632 6594
Email: kmcpeak at ethz.ch