Scott Courts

Dr. Scott Courts has been active in the field of cryogenics for more than 40 years. He received his BSc in Physics from Marshall University and a Ph.D. in Experimental Solid-State Physics from The Ohio State University in 1988. While at OSU, he studied the transition to superfluid turbulence in two-fluid flow of helium-II.

In 1989, Dr. Courts joined Lake Shore as a Senior Scientist in our Sensor R&D Division. In this position, much of his focus was on developing thin-film thermometer materials exhibiting high ionizing radiation tolerance and low magnetoresistance offsets for use in accelerator applications. This work led to the development of our Cernox^® sensors. Dr. Courts then moved to Lake Shore’s manufacturing engineering group in 2001 to fill the role of Applications Scientist and work on improving sensor products, processes, and testing. He has also served as Technical Director for Lake Shore’s thermometer calibration facility and worked to extend the calibration range capabilities to its current 5 mK lower limit and up to 900 K at the upper end.

Currently, as Metrology Scientist IV for Lake Shore, he manages all aspects of sensor metrology and is responsible for maintaining the company’s traceable thermometry scales. A member of the American Physical Society and the Cryogenic Society of America, Dr. Courts has published more than 40 articles on cryogenics/thermometry and served as a reviewer for various journals and proceedings. He has also taught short courses on cryogenic thermometry and instrumentation in both public and private settings for the past 25 years.

Select Publications

Cernox™ Resistance Temperature Sensors for High Energy Applications
S. S. Courts, Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc. white paper, March 2015.

A Standardized Cryogenic Temperature Sensors for Aerospace Applications
S. S. Courts, Cryogenics, 64 (2014), pp. 248 – 254 (Presented at the 2013 Space Cryogenics Workshop, Girdwood, AK, 23 – 25 June 2013). 

A Standardized Cryogenic Temperature Sensor for Aerospace Applications
S. S. Courts (Presented at the Space Cryogenics Workshop, Coeur de Alene, ID, 8 – 10 June, 2011). 

Review of Cryogenic Sensors for Emerging Applications
S. S. Courts, Cold Facts, Vol. 29, No. 4, Cryogenic Society of America, Oak Park, IL, pp. 14, 17 – 18, Nov. 2013. 

A New Capsule Platinum Resistance Thermometer For Cryogenic Use
S. S. Courts and J. K. Krause, in “Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry,” Volume 7, edited by C. Meyer, American Institute of Physics, NY (2013), pp. 168 – 173 (Presented at the ITS-9, 19 – 23 March 2012, Los Angeles, CA).

High Reliability Cryogenic Temperature Sensors
S. S. Courts, Cold Facts, Vol. 28, No. 3, Cryogenic Society of America, Oak Park, IL, p. 9, Sept. 2012.

Effects of Room Temperature Aging on Two Cryogenic Temperature Sensor Models Used in Aerospace Applications
S. S. Courts and J. K. Krause, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 57B, edited by J.G. Weisend II, et al., American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY (2012), pp. 1329 – 1336 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2011, 14 – 17 June 2011, Spokane, WA).

Reliability and Stability of Three Cryogenic Temperature Sensors Models Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Cycling
S. S. Courts and J. K. Krause, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 57, edited by J.G. Weisend II, et al., American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY (2012), pp. 515 – 522.

Potential Errors That Can Affect Temperature Measurement Accuracy
S. S. Courts, in “Electricity+Control,” Crown Publications cc, pp. 40 – 42, Aug. 2011. 

Using Thin-Film Thermometers as Heaters in Thermal Control Applications
H. J. Cho, K. Penanen, K. G. Sukhatme, W. A. Holmes, and S. S. Courts, in NASA Tech Briefs, April 1, 2010, NPO-46882, article 7818.

A Commercial Ruthenium Oxide Thermometer For Use to 10 mK
S. S. Courts and J. K. Krause, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 53B, edited by J.G Weisend II, et al., American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY (2008) pp. 947 – 954 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2007, 16 – 20 July 2007, Chattanooga, TN).

Cryogenic Fiber Optic Sensors Based on Fiber Bragg Gratings
P. R. Swinehart, M. Maklad, and S. S. Courts, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 53B, edited by J.G Weisend II, et al., American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY (2008), pp. 940 – 946 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2007, 16 – 20 July 2007, Chattanooga, TN).

Diode Temperature Sensor Curve Estimation and Interchangeability for Non-Standard Excitation Currents
S. S. Courts, C. J. Yeager, and J. K. Krause, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 51B, edited by J.G. Weisend II, et al., American Institute of Physics, NY (2006), pp. 1235 – 1242 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2005, 29 Aug. – 2 Sept. 2005, Keystone, CO).

Interchangeability of Diode Temperature Sensors for Various Non-Standard Excitation Currents
S. S. Courts and C. J. Yeager, in “Proceedings of the Twentieth International Cryogenic Engineering Conference (ICEC20),” edited by Liang Zhang, et al., Elsevier Science (2006), pp. 959 – 962 (Presented at the ICEC-20, 11 – 14 May 2004, Beijing, China).

Characterization Studies of Sputter Deposited Cermet Cryogenic Heaters
S. S. Courts, C. J. Yeager, and L. Chapin, in “Proceedings of the Twentieth International Cryogenic Engineering Conference (ICEC20),” edited by Liang Zhang, et al., Elsevier Science (2006), pp. 975 – 978 (Presented at the ICEC-20, 11 – 14 May, Beijing, China).

Gamma Radiation Induced Calibration Shifts in Four Cryogenic Thermometer Models
S. Scott Courts and C. J. Yeager, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 49A, edited by J. Waynert, American Institute of Physics, NY (July 2004), pp. 404 – 411 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2003, 23 – 26 Sept. 2003, Anchorage, AK).

Effects of Packaging on Thermal Resistance Below 1 K for Cryogenic Temperature Sensors
S. Scott Courts and C. J. Yeager, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 49A, edited by J. Waynert, American Institute of Physics, NY (July 2004), pp. 412 – 419 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2003, 23 – 26 Sept. 2003, Anchorage, AK).

Novel Cryogenic Heaters: Sputter Deposited Cermet Materials with Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity Near Zero
C. J. Yeager, S. Scott Courts, and L. N. Chapin, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 49B, edited by J. Waynert, American Institute of Physics, NY (July 2004), pp. 1877 – 1882 (Presented at the CEC/ICMC-2003, 23 – 26 Sept. 2003, Anchorage, AK).

New Ruthenium Oxide Based Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) for Use From 50 mK to 300 K
C. J. Yeager and S. S. Courts, in “Proceedings of the Joint 2nd International Seminar and Workshop on Low Temperature Thermometry,” edited by A. Szmyrka-Grzebyk and A. Kowal, Instytut Niskich Temperatur I Badan Strukturalnych PAN, Wroclaw Poland (2003), pp. 137 – 143 (Presented at the Joint 2nd International Seminar and Workshop on Low Temperature Thermometry, 6 – 7 Oct. 2003, Wroclaw, Poland).

Review of Cernox™ (Zirconium Oxy-Nitride) Thin Film Resistance Temperature Sensors
S. Scott Courts and Philip. R. Swinehart, in “Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry,” Volume 7, edited by D. Ripple, American Institute of Physics, NY (2003), pp. 393 – 398 (Presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Temperature, Oct. 21 – 24 2002, Chicago, USA).

Long-Term Stability of Germanium Resistance Thermometers
S. Scott Courts and C. J. Yeager, in “Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry,” Volume 7, edited by D. Ripple, American Institute of Physics, NY (2003), pp. 405 – 410 (Presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Temperature, Oct. 21 – 24 2002, Chicago, USA). 

Thermal Resistance of Cryogenic Thermometers at Ultra-Low Temperature
C. J. Yeager, S. Scott Courts, and W. E. Davenport, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 47B, edited by P. Shirron, American Institute of Physics, NY (2002), pp. 1644 – 1650 (Presented at the CEC-2001, 17 – 20 July 2001, Madison, WI).

Long-Term Stability of a Cryogenic Diode
S. Scott Courts and P. R. Swinehart, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 47B, edited by P. Shirron, American Institute of Physics, NY (2002), pp. 1636 – 1643 (Presented at the CEC-2001, 17 – 20 July 2001, Madison, WI).

A New Cryogenic Diode Thermometer
S. Scott Courts, P. R. Swinehart, and C. J. Yeager, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 47B, edited by P. Shirron, American Institute of Physics, NY (2002), pp. 1620 – 1627 (Presented at the CEC-2001, 17 – 20 July 2001, Madison, WI).

A Review of Cryogenic Thermometry and Common Temperature Sensors
C. J. Yeager and S. Scott Courts, IEEE Sensors Journal 1 (4), pp. 352 – 360 (Dec. 2001).

Stability of Cernox Resistance Temperature Sensors
S. Scott Courts and P. R. Swinehart, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 45B, edited by Quan-Shan Shu, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, NY (2000) pp. 1841 – 1848 (Presented at CEC-1999, 12 – 15 July 1999, Montreal, Canada).

Thermal Resistances of Cryogenic Temperature Sensors from 1 – 300 K
S. Scott Courts, W. E. Davenport, and D. Scott Holmes, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 45B, edited by Quan-Shan Shu, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, NY (2000), pp. 1849 – 1856 (Presented at CEC-1999, 12 – 15 July 1999, Montreal, Canada).

Chapter 4. Cryogenic Instrumentation
D. Scott Holmes and S. Scott Courts, “Handbook of Cryogenic Engineering,” edited by J. G. Weisend II, Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, PA (1998), pp. 203 – 258.

Electrical Properties of Metal-Oxy-Nitride Nanocomposites
D. Scott Holmes, S. Scott Courts, and P. R. Swinehart, in “Proceedings of the Micro Materials Conference, Micro Mat ’97,” edited by B. Michel and T. Winkler, Druckhaus Dresden (GmbH) Press, NY (1996), pp. 678 – 683 (Presented at Micro Mat ’97, Berlin, Germany, 16 – 18 April 1997).

Effects of Cryogenic Irradiation on Temperature Sensors
S. Scott Courts and D. Scott Holmes, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 41B, edited by P. Kittel, Plenum Press, NY (1996), pp. 1707 – 1714 (Presented at CEC-1995, 17 – 21 July 1995, Columbus, OH).

Thermal Resistances of Mounted Cryogenic Temperature Sensors
D. Scott Holmes and S. Scott Courts, in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” Vol. 41, edited by P. Kittel, Plenum Press, NY (1996) pp. 1699 – 1706 (Presented at CEC-1995, 17 – 21 July 1995, Columbus, OH).

Resolution and Accuracy of Cryogenic Temperature Measurements
D. Scott Holmes and S. Scott Courts, in “Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry,” Volume 6, Part 2, edited by J. F. Schooley, American Institute of Physics, NY (1992), pp. 1225 – 1230 (Presented at the Seventh International Symposium on Temperature, 28 April – 1 May 1992, Toronto, Canada).

Neutron and Gamma Radiation Effects on Cryogenic Temperature Sensors
S. Scott Courts, D. Scott Holmes, and Philip R. Swinehart, in “Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry,” Volume 6, Part 2, edited by J. F. Schooley, American Institute of Physics, NY (1992), pp. 1237 – 1242 (Presented at the Seventh International Symposium on Temperature, April 28 – May 1, 1992, Toronto, Canada).

Cryogenic Thermometry – An Overview
S. Scott Courts, D. S. Holmes, and Philip R. Swinehart, in “Applications of Cryogenic Technology,” Vol. 10, Plenum Press, NY (1991), pp. 55 – 69.

Dissipation in 2-Fluid Flow of He-II
S. Scott Courts and J. T. Tough, Phys. Rev. B 39 (13), pp. 8924 – 8933 (May 1, 1989).

Combined Heat and Mass Transport in Superfluid He II
J. T. Tough and S. Scott Courts, in “Proceedings of the Twelfth International Cryogenic Engineering Conference, ICEC 12,” and “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering,” edited by R. G. Scurlock and C. A. Bailey, Butterworth Guildford, UK (1988), pp. 310 – 313 (Presented at ICEC-1988, 12 – 15 July 1988, Southampton, UK).

Transition to Superfluid Turbulence in 2-Fluid Flow of He-II
S. Scott Courts and J.T. Tough, Phys. Rev. B 38 (1), pp. 74 – 80 (July 1, 1988).