Microfurnace thermomagnetic analyser for the -30/spl deg/C to 1000/spl deg/C temperature range

We describe the construction of a thermomagnetic analyser that uses a microfurnace. The equipment can work in the temperature range of -30/spl deg/C up to 1000/spl deg/C, with heating/cooling rates as high as 50/spl deg/C/min. without temperature hysteresis. The design allows the use of excitation and pick-up coils with thousands of turns, working at room temperature. This gives a high sensitivity to the equipment as revealed by the measurement of magnetic transitions in thin films with masses in the order of 500 /spl mu/g. The reproducibility of the measurements is very good, and there is only noticeable drift in the most sensitive range.