I’m going to take vacation on Fridays again the summer beginning May 10. Danielle and Liz will be here part of that day and I’ll normally be in town so I could come back to work in case of emergency.
All equipment status updates.
I have put a band around the main valve door to keep the lever closed. It is easy to push it out of the way when you want to open the door. Please put it back when you quit your session.
The manufacturer is coming to service the FESEM next week. The work will begin Monday night and the microscope will be down until Thursday or Friday. The FIB will also be serviced while he is here but that will not affect most of you.
3:35 p.m. update. I adjusted a switch position and it may be okay now. If you hear a rattle noise push the MV1 lever (airlock valve) closed tightly and let me know right away.
2:42 p.m. The pneumatic lock on the FESEM that holds the Exchange Door closed is not functioning properly. The chamber vacuum will drop when the door drifts open and may cause the beam to automatically shut off. Please keep an eye on the door to make sure it remains in the closed position (EVAC Light will be a solid green and SC Vacuum Light will be green), especially while imaging.
We are contacting Hitachi to get a replacement.
—Danielle Langdon
There is a short in the ion vacuum pump. This happens when a flake of contamination comes off the pump elements and shorts across the high voltage circuit inside the pump. This is bad news because it cannot be serviced in the lab. Unless I can knock the flake loose somehow it will have to be sent back for repair. The microscope would be down a few weeks.
I’ll keep you updated.
There’s maybe something wrong with the ion pump. Today’s practical exams are cancelled. Hope to have the scope back on for Thursday exams.
I’ll keep you updated.
The JEOL TEM shut off over the weekend and now the ion pump needs to be conditioned. It will be back online for TEM course practicals tomorrow.
I’m planning to install the SEM stage on the FIB this Friday afternoon and I’ll need to do a week of work with it. Please let me know right away if that will cause you a problem.
The 6400 is working now. I pulled and re-seated circuit boards and it began working again. Not sure how long it will work but let’s use it.
Same problem with gun alignment error. I’ll work on it tomorrow morning.