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The
ESEM Laboratory Capabilities
The equipment in question is an analytical Quanta 200s Environmental
Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) produced by the Phillips Electron
Optics company. The microscope combines high vacuum, low vacuum and
gaseous environments to support a variety of material characterization
applications. The instrument allows for examination of non- conducting,
contaminated, hydrated and even living samples without significant
sample preparation, in addition to those samples that have always
been viewable under conventional scanning electron microscopes. It
allows for user selection of accelerating voltage, magnification,
gas type, gas pressure and detector type. This flexibility promotes
cross- disciplinary research for all who utilize the ESEM. The system
includes the following capabilities:
- Resolution of 3.5 nm in any environmental
mode
- Magnification range of 7x to
1,000,000x
- Accelerating voltage of 200V
to 30kV
- Tungsten gun electron source
with computer optimized variable bias and filament distance
- Automated focusing and astigmatism
correction
- Chamber pressures from 6x10^-6
to 26 mbar
- Secondary electron detectors
capable of operating under any of the system environments
- Operator control of primary operating
parameters with computer compensation for secondary parameters
- 4-axis motorized stage with 50
mm travel and 75 degree tilt
- 284 mm diameter specimen chamber
- Access ports for installing analytical
installments and sub-stages
- Pentium PC for microscopic control
and network communication
The system also includes
back-scattered electron detection, energy dispersive spectroscopy
(both qualitative and quantitative ) with ultra-thin window for
light element detection, a Peltier cooling stage for moist samples,
and a heating stage with a maximum temperature of 1000 C.
For further information regarding the
operation of the ESEM please download the Standard Operating Procedure
in pdf format.
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