Category: News

Instrument Offline from 8/1 to 8/18

I am writing to inform you about an exciting upgrade to our Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) system. ACMAL has received funding to upgrade the ESEM with the SEMView8000. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Vice President for Research Office, the Institute for Materials Processing, the Materials Science and Engineering Department, and the MSE Senior Design team for making this upgrade possible.

The instrument will be temporarily offline from August 1 to August 18 to facilitate the installation of the SEMTech 8000 upgrade. During the upgrade period, the ESEM system will be inaccessible, and no reservations or usage will be possible. We kindly request that you plan your projects accordingly and make alternative arrangements for your imaging and analysis requirements during this period.

To ensure a smooth transition and help you familiarize yourself with the upgraded system, we will be offering training sessions for all ESEM users. These training sessions are mandatory for anyone intending to use the SEMTech 8000. The sessions will be conducted starting from August 19, once the upgrade is complete.

To schedule your training session, please sign up for training. You will be directed to our self-scheduling calendar, where you can choose a time slot that suits you best. Appointments are available starting August 19. Due to limited availability, we recommend scheduling your session at your earliest convenience.

We understand that this temporary unavailability and the training requirement may cause some inconvenience, and we apologize for any disruption it may cause to your work. However, we believe that the benefits of the SEMTech 8000 upgrade and the subsequent training will be instrumental in advancing our research capabilities.

If you have any urgent projects or time-sensitive samples requiring ESEM imaging during the upgrade period, please let us know as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate your needs either before or after the downtime.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this upgrade process. The improved capabilities of the SEMTech 8000, along with the training sessions, will undoubtedly enhance our research capabilities and contribute to the success of our projects.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the ESEM upgrade, the training sessions, or their impact on your work, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. I am here to address any inquiries or provide additional information.

Related

Upgrades for ACMAL’s Environmental Scanning Microscope

We at ACMAL are excited to announce that we are in the process of updating our micrograph posters.

We would greatly appreciate your valuable contributions to make them even more captivating. Though the initial focus is on electron images, we are also open to including other types of images, such as EDS/EBSD maps, that demonstrate the diverse range of analytical techniques available in our lab.

If you have captured any remarkable micrographs that you believe would be suitable for inclusion on our posters, we kindly invite you to share them with us. Your contributions will not only showcase your expertise but also contribute to the overall excellence of our collection.

To streamline the submission process, we have created an online form where you can easily upload your micrographs.

Micrograph Submission Form

We are eager to feature a diverse range of micrographs, highlighting the advancements and discoveries within the field of electron optics. Your submissions will help us showcase the remarkable work being done by our community.

Thank you in advance for your participation and for sharing your impressive micrographs. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

The FEI Philips XL 40 Environmental Scanning Microscope (ESEM) is a large chamber scanning electron microscope. It is operated by a Michigan Tech shared facility, the Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory (ACMAL). ACMAL was awarded a Shared Facility Grant from the Associate Vice President of Research Development to upgrade the ESEM electronics and software system. The upgrade is expected to offset future repair costs and minimize instrument downtime.

If you have not considered the ESEM for your research, this instrument is capable of operating in high vacuum mode for conventional scanning electron microscopy.

The ESEM supports large area montage imaging and elemental mapping (up to a few square centimeters), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS)-based phase analysis, chemical contrast imaging and EDS-based particle analysis, as well as crystallographic phase mapping, texture analysis and grain size orientation distribution by electron backscatter diffraction.

Contact ACMAL Director Elizabeth Miller with questions. You may request instrument training, sample preparation or sample analysis services. Remote training and collaboration are available. Request a tour for yourself and your team. We can help you select an instrument and find expertise in developing process plans for your research.

Current users are reminded to cite ACMAL in all publications arising from research using these instruments. Help us to build a community of electron microscopists.

The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the Fiscal Year 2023 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). I’m excited to share that the 2023 DURIP selections have been announced and our proposal for a new Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope is recommended for award. All indications are that it will be funded. Congratulations to Dr. Bruce Lee (PI), Dr. Paul Sanders, Dr. Trisha Sain, Dr. Kazuya Tajiri, and Dr. Stephen Techtmann. Once funded, the new instrument will be housed in ACMAL and available for use by the MTU research community.

The timing is still TBD but since the project should be completed within a year we are starting the planning process to finalize the equipment purchase. However, there is still an opportunity to add capabilities to the instrument, especially if cost share can be contributed. Some possible additions include: a windowless EDS detector for light element (including Li) analysis, tensile stage, cryo stage, etc.

Below is a summary of the capabilities of the proposed new SEM.

Summary of the Capabilities and Functions of the Proposed FE-ESEM

Instrument

• Environmental or Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope

Electron Source

• Field emission gun assembly with Schottky emitter source

Voltage

• 20 V to 30,000 V

Resolution at 30 kV

• High-vacuum Mode: 1.0 nm (SED) and 2.5 nm (BSED)
• Low-vacuum Mode: 1.3 nm (SED) and 2.5 nm (BSED)
• Environmental Mode: 1.3 nm (SED)

Magnification

• 20x to 1,000,000x in a single quadrant

Ulti Max 170 EDS

• Fast acquisition (quantitative > 400,000 cps and mapping > 1,000,000 cps)
• Operate at low beam current, minimizing beam damage (3.5–5 kV)
• High sensitivity for light element analysis

Symmetry S2 EBSD

• High-speed analysis (indexing > 4,500 patterns per second)
• High sensitivity >800 patterns per second/nA
• Operates at low beam currents

Heating Stage

• In-situ experimentation up to 1,100°C
• Compatible with SE, BSED, EDS & EBSD detectors

Add Your Input

If you have any suggestions for capabilities or would like to discuss please contact Liz Miller by December 15th.

The Principal Investigator is Bruce Lee for research in additive manufacturing, materials development, and plastic waste recycling. The funding agency is the Office of Naval Research. DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States (U.S.) institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation.