Category: Philips XL 40 ESEM

ESEM in Electron Optics

ESEM Offline August 1–18, 2023

The instrument will be temporarily offline from August 1to 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.

Read the full announcement.

Liz Out of Office [7/15 & 7/28 – 8/15]

I am out of the office today Friday 7/22. Also, I will be out of the office starting July 28th and returning August 15th. During my absence I will be monitoring email, but my response will be delayed. Below are the contacts if you need assistance with instruments in the Electron Optics Facility or the Scanning Probe Microscopy Facility.

  • ESEM / FESEM

JOSH KINGLaboratory Assistant
PHONE: 404-808-2803
E-MAIL: jorking@mtu.edu

  • AFM

ALEISTER KERR
Laboratory Assistant
PHONE: 520-576-3557
E-MAIL: awkerr@mtu.edu

  • Sample Preparation / Coating / Liquid Nitrogen

(Josh, Aleister or Keith)

KEITH PICKELMANN
Laboratory Assistant
PHONE: 989-423-0692
E-MAIL: krpickel@mtu.edu

In case of an emergency call public safety. 

EBSD Detector Down

The ESEM and EDS system are fully functional. However, the EBSD detector is down until further notice. 

I’ve tried solving the problem with Oxford remotely. Unfortunately, we will need to bring a technician on site and will likely need to replace the HKL box. I am looking into the details and will let you know when I have more information.

ESEM Online

The ESEM detector installation is complete and the ESEM is available for use. The new software is very similar to the previous version of AZTEC. However if you would like training on the new capabilities let me know. 

Regarding old data, we are in the process of recovering the data that was on the old AZTEC computer. I’m hopeful that the data will be available next week. As always remember to take a copy of data with you at the end of your session and make back ups as necessary.

ACMAL Facility Closed (Except CIF)

Due to the intermittent power outages, in addition to the planned power outages, ACMAL will be closed for the remainder of this week. The Confocal Imaging Facility (CIF), will be available unless there is another unplanned power outage during the day. 

The X-ray facility will be open beginning Friday morning. All other facilities will be opening next week. Just a reminder, the FIB and FESEM annual maintenance will be occurring next week (5/9 – 5/11).

We apologize for any inconvenience.