Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory Newsblog

Hitachi FESEM – Maintenance done – good practice

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Hi FESEM users,

The Hitachi service engineer did the year’s maintenance on the FESEM this past Monday and Tuesday 5/20 and 5/21.

1) He fixed the spring on the stage where we slid the specimen mount in. It was loose and that was causing some vibration. We should not see less jiggling images at higher magnification.

2) He did the full column alignment. From now on, use the software only when you do the alignments. Do not change the physical knobs of the apertures.

3) The beam monitor aperture is set at position 2, and should be kept at 2 !!!

4) If you ever need to change the objective aperture, only use the knob to switch between apertures 1, 3, or 4. Do not use aperture 2.

Objective aperture sizes: 1 > 3 = 2 > 4

Attn.: Objective apertures 2 and 3 have the same size. We exchange them annually when one or the other gets dirty. This year we are using 3.

Remember: Home stage position is: X=Y=Z=12.5 mm, Tilt = 0, Rotation = 0

Please, let me know if you still experience any problems.

Erico Freitas

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Medical Leave Notification: April 25th to June 6th

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I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to inform you that I will be on medical leave from April 25th through June 6th, 2024.

During this period, if you encounter any issues or have any questions, please reach out to the following contacts:

  • For X-ray Facility questions, please contact Dr. Ed Laitila at 906-369-2041 or email ealaitil@mtu.edu.
  • For Electron Optics Facility questions or sample preparation, please contact Dr. Erico Freitas at 906-299-2714 or email efragafr@mtu.edu, or Isabella Jaszczak at 734-250-1624 or email imwakeha@mtu.edu
  • For Scanning Probe Microscopy (AFM) & Surface Analysis (XPS) Facilities questions, please reach out to Dr. Timothy Leftwich at tleftwi@mtu.edu.
  • For Confocal Imaging Facility questions, please contact Dr. Marina Tanasova at 906-487-1163 or email mtanasov@mtu.edu (Cell Culture Lab & Flow Cytometer & Confocal).

In case of an emergency, call public safety by dialing 911.

These individuals, as experts in their respective areas, will be able to assist you promptly. However, please note that for general inquiries or matters not specific to a particular area, it is best to contact me upon my return.

Training and analysis requests can be completed online using our Google form. 

I have complete confidence in the ACMAL team’s abilities to handle any issues that may arise during my absence. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I will be sure to get back to you promptly upon my return on June 6th.

Wishing you all continued success with your research.

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Attn: Sputter Coater User

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The target on the sputter coater has worn out. A new target has been ordered and is expected within 6-10 business days. The target has temporarily been changed to Iridium.

There are special directions for using the Ir target (see detailed instructions below).

Target density: 22.42
Current: 20mA
Coating thickness: 1-3nm

Your two other options are:

1) We have a Cr target. However, in the past that has resulted in charging.

2) As soon as next week, you can start to schedule time with our staff on the Apreo2. Uncoated samples can be imaged using variable pressure mode. VP mode utilizes a gas in the sample chamber as a charge dissipation and signal amplification method, allowing analysis of a sample without preparation in the form of a conductive coating.

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Tescan FIB-SEM and STEM Lunch and Learn April 18

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Instrumentation with bench and computers.

You’re invited to join us for a special Lunch and Learn event sponsored by Tescan.

Advancements in FIB-SEM and STEM Technologies with Tescan

Explore the latest developments in Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) technologies. Learn about their application for multiscale and multimodal chemical imaging of materials, including batteries and semiconductors.

Topic: Advancements in FIB-SEM and STEM Technologies for high throughput, multimodal characterization of materials
Date and Time: Thursday, April 18th, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Location: M&M 610
Lunch Provided: Enjoy lunch while learning about cutting-edge microscopy technologies.

Register Now

Additionally, they will briefly introduce the Tescan Collaboration Network (TCN), offering opportunities for collaborative research and instrument sharing across universities.

We look forward to your participation in this informative session!

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ATTN – STEM users – TEM sample holder

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We recently have encountered issues with the TEM single tilt holder and want to draw your attention to the right way of handling it.

Now that we have several certified users, and the number of users are increasing, and taking into account those parts are very expensive and may take time to replace, we all need to refresh ourselves on how to use it.

Please take a few minutes of your time to watch this YouTube video I find useful.

TEM Sample Holder Loading for Talos TFS (FEI) F200X

Please ask me if you have any questions.

Erico Freitas

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Welcome Isabella Jaszczak – New Research Engineer at ACMAL

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Group of three people accepting an award from a presenter.
Isabella Wakeham Jaszczak, second from left, was among the recipients of a research project award from the ASM Foundation in 2022.

ACMAL is pleased to welcome Isabella Jaszczak as new Research Engineer to our team.

Isabella graduated with a master’s degree in Material Science and Engineering (MSE) from Michigan Tech in 2023. Her research utilized EBSD and STEM imaging to quantify microstructural changes in high-strength, low-alloy steels. Shortly after earning her graduate degree, she was hired as a research engineer for the MSE department, specifically working with the Institute of Materials Processing, the ARC Research Group, and ACMAL’s electron microscopy facility. She is here to help you with sample preparation, SEM analysis, STEM imaging, or instrument training.

Outside of work, Isabella is a HuskyFit instructor at the SDC and enjoys creating pottery as a member of the Copper Country Community Arts Center’s Clay Co-op. McClain State Park is her favorite place to be in the Copper Country

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