R&D July 2007 FEI Co. - (Page 3) Ease of use—Perhaps the most important characteristic of a lab instrument is its ease of use. A traditional electron microscope has an often bewildering user interface with an extremely large set of choices and parameters to optimize. A large majority of the variables of a traditional SEM are not needed in a workhorse tool. By eliminating variables, automating adjustments, and creative software design, the Phenom has reduced operating the microscope to driving the stage and changing the magnification. With this kind of software interface, training a novice to use the system takes a matter of minutes— the instrument becomes productive almost immediately. Industrial applications SEMs are used in many fields of industry, such as pharmaceuticals, composite materials, and life science. These industries, as well as many others, will benefit from the new tabletop SEMs in characterizing structures and morphologies in the nanometer range easily and quickly in the lab. Some industrial applications include: Particle characterization: Size, distribution, and morphology of particles and powders are critical parameters for industries such as pharmaceuticals, composites, cosmetics, and catalysts. Often these measurements are derived from bulk analyses such as laser scattering; however, interpreting the data requires some knowledge of the particles themselves, i.e., are they spherical, rod-shaped, a mix of large and very small particles, etc. Tabletop microscopes with magnification ranges up to 20,000x are ideal for this requirement. A “quick look” at these materials can greatly improve the efficiency of analysis and characterization. Measuring the dimensions and uniformity of coatings is also of critical importance in materials research. Quality assurance in MEMS: MEMS are miniaturized components commonly used in high volume, low-cost applications, such as the automotive and electronic industries. One of the most common applications is the use of a MEMS accelerometer inside automotive air bags. The reliability of this class of device is paramount so inspection and quality assurance are frequent steps in the manufacturing process. Images of 3-D objects at magnifications in the range 100-5,000 are required, which is a task ideally suited for a tabletop SEM microscope. Crime scene investigation: Forensic scientists have long used microscopic images as an aid to their investigations, and the trend in this field is to look at finer and finer levels of detail. Traces of foreign material found on clothing can often be used to help establish where the clothing has been. For example, the presence of a specific species of pollen can potentially indicate a particular area where the clothing must have been. Similarly, the presence of specific species of algae attached to clothing can indicate conclusively that the clothing has been in water and potentially which body of water. This image of a fruit fly shows the underside of the head. One of the compound eyes, the mandible, and two palps are visible. resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In simple terms, these factors are themselves determined by the choice of electron source and the accelerating voltage of the electrons. SEMs use one of three types of electron sources. Field emission sources produce very high resolution but require expensive high vacuum systems inconsistent with the cost and sample requirements of a tabletop SEM. At the other extreme, tungsten sources have the lowest vacuum requirements but need to operate at relatively high accelerating voltages to provide acceptable signal-to-noise characteristics. Unfortunately, increasing the accelerating voltage decreases the image resolution as a result of electron penetration into the sample. The third choice, LaB6, has properties and requirements that lie between those of field emission and tungsten sources. As a result, this type of source can be run at 5kV, providing the optimal combination of resolution and signal-tonoise in a tabletop SEM. Sample requirements –The vacuum requirements in an SEM’s sample chamber affect many aspects of its operation. Higher sample chamber vacuum requirements increase pump down and sample exchange time and impose tighter constraints on sample type and condition. The Phenom’s sliding vacuum seal reduces chamber volume and sample exchange time. Reduced vacuum levels in the chamber also contribute to faster sample exchange, but, more importantly, relax the constraints on sample type. FEI pioneered the development of low vacuum (ESEM) technologies that allow just about any sample that will fit in the holder, with little or no need for coating, cleaning, drying or other preparations. www.rdmag.com Building the future technology workforce It is a common complaint that increasingly fewer students are enrolling in science and technology degree programs. Of the many July 2007 R&DMagazine 3 http://www.rdmag.com
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