The ESEM is down. I am working with FEI to diagnose the error.
All equipment status updates.
The STEM is back online. The chiller repairs are completed and the technician from FEI has finished his maintenance.
Facilities have completed the updates on the rooftop chiller. They add capacity to the system by switching to potable water to cool the condenser side of the chillers. This will temporarily resolve the problem and get us back online until a more robust solution can be implemented. The technician from Thermo Fisher will be here this week to complete the repairs. If all goes well the TEM will be back online next week.
Stay tuned for more information.
The FESEM chiller is repaired. The instrument has been tested and is back online.
The FESEM is down. There was a brief power outage yesterday which caused the instrument to lose vacuum. I am currently working to get it back online. I did run into an issue with the instrument chiller, which is causing this issue to persist.
This is a reminder that ACMAL facilities will be CLOSED on Monday, September 6th, in observance of labor day. This is a university holiday so the building will also be locked.
The carbon coater repairs are completed and the instrument is available for use. Please contact Aleister, Josh, or myself if you need samples coater.
Over the past year, several ACMAL labs have been equipped with new software and cameras for improved remote teaching and research! These new remote capabilities allow for live/recorded demonstrations to be shared with large classes or for research clients and to view live data collection.
Below are descriptions of these instruments and laboratories affected:
FEI 200kV Titan Themis Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM)
The STEM is Michigan Tech’s newest electron microscope addition that has atomic resolution imaging capabilities. The instrument has the following capabilities and modes: conventional TEM mode, scanning TEM mode, electron energy loss spectroscopy, energy filter TEM, high angle annular dark field, ChemiSTEM, Super-X Energy Dispersive X-Ray, and nanometer scale tomography.
New remote capabilities include:
- Zoom screen-share from both the TEM laboratory web camera and instrument control monitors
- Huskycast (Panopto) recording of lab space, TEM lab camera, and instrument control monitors
Learn more about the STEM: ACMAL – FEI 200kV Titan Themis STEM
Contact Elizabeth Miller (eafraki@mtu.edu) for more information.
FEI Philips XL 40 Environmental Scanning Microscope (ESEM)
The ESEM can be used to image a wide range of material types at a microscale including hydrated, contaminated, organic, or inorganic samples. This microscope itself has several modes and features that make it a flexible instrument for any research needs: SE/BSE imaging, thin window EDAX EDS, electron backscatter diffraction, high and low vacuum modes, and hot or cold stage options.
New remote capabilities include:
- New laboratory web camera
- Zoom screen-share abilities from both the microscope control and AzTEC analysis computers
- Remote technical assistance with Raritan DKX4-101 KVM-over-IP
- Remote operation with Raritan DKX4-101 KVM-over-IP
Learn more about the ESEM: ACMAL – FEI Philips XL 40 ESEM
Contact Elizabeth Miller (eafraki@mtu.edu) for more information.
X-Ray Facilities: Scintag XDS2000 Powder Diffractometer and Scintag XDS-2000 PTS
ACMAL’s X-ray facilities (XRF) has instruments capable of performing x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses on both powder and solid samples. Sample data such as present phases, lattice parameter, percent crystallinity, and texture analysis can all be found using MTU’s Scintag XDS2000 Powder Diffractometer and Scintag XDS-2000 PTS XRD instruments. These instruments have the following features to expand the types of samples that can be analyzed: zero background sample holder, custom powder sample holders, custom irregular shaped solid holder, custom liquid holder, ICDD-JCPDS database, and Anton-Paar high temperature stage.
New remote capabilities include:
- New cameras installed in both the instrument lab and sample preparation lab.
- Huskycast (Panopto) recording for both cameras and lab computer monitors.
- Zoom sharing available in both labs and computer monitors.
Learn more about X-ray facilities: ACMAL – X-Ray Facilities
Contact Dr. Edward Laitila (ealaitil@mtu.edu) for more information.
The STEM is offline until further notice. Due to continued issues with the rooftop chiller the repairs were not able to be completed. We are working with MTU facilities to find a long-term solution to the chiller problem.
The roughing pump has been repaired. The ESEM is back online and can be used. The instrument still needs a full alignment, which won’t be completed until later today.