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ACMAL ELECTRON OPTICS FACILITY EQUIPMENT STATUS

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All comments are by Owen Mills.

See also Scientific and Technical FAQs, Current Funding Opportunities, and Research Funding Sources.

Contents 1 Lab Staff Schedule 2 Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM 3 Hitachi FB-2000A FIB 4 JEOL JSM-6400 SEM 5 JEOL JEM-4000FX TEM 6 Atomic Force Microscope 7 Specimen Preparation 8 Other Lab Issues

Lab Staff Schedule

July 20, 2010 The JEOL 6400 SEM maintenance visit is scheduled next week on Tues, Wed and Thurs and I will be available on a limited basis during that time. I will attend a conference during the 1st week in August and will return to work on Thurs, Aug 12. A TEM maintenance visit is scheduled for the week of August 23rd and I will be here but unavailable during that week.

Claire Beginning this week Claire will be working 1/2 day (morning) on Mon, Wed & Friday and all day on Tues and Thurs. She returns to full time August 16 for 2 weeks until classes begin August 30.

Please plan your work around these schedules. Thanks!

June 30, 2010 I will begin vacation next Thursday, July 8, and return to work on Monday, July 19. I'm going to be out of cell phone and email contact for most of the trip. Claire will be available to help while I am away.

June 14, 2010 I will be out of town Thursday and Friday of this week and Monday of next. Claire (Rm 631, cfdrom@mtu.edu) will be available to help with most issues. Meghan (mmhaycoc@mtu.edu) can help with TEM issues.

May 28, 2010 The labs will be closed Monday, May 31 for the university holiday.

May 3, 2010 I will be off Thursday, Friday and Monday. Claire will be here to help you while I am away. You can find her in 631 (image analysis) or in one of the labs. Her cell number is posted in all the labs.

I may be in cell phone range but I hope you will contact Claire before you call me.

January 28, 2010 This is the students schedule for Spring 2010.

Claire Drom (cfdrom@mtu.edu) Tuesday 9 AM to 2 PM Friday 2 PM to 5 PM

Nils Bergman (nabergma@mtu.edu) Tuesday 12:30 PM to 3 PM Thursday 12:30 PM to 3 PM Friday 3 PM to 5 PM

Meghan Haycock (mmhaycoc@mtu.edu) Tuesday 1 PM to 4 PM Wednesday 1 PM to 4 PM

Please email them for assistance with sample coating and assistance with SEM issues. You can expect a same day reply to your email.

December 14, 2009 The M&M Building, and therefore labs, will closed Dec 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Jan 1. Only unrestricted users have permission to use the equipment on those days. Unrestricted users have building access and keys to the lab doors. Do not leave doors open or let anyone without keys into the labs. Happy Holidays!

December 7, 2009 The M&M Building, and therefore labs, will closed Dec 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Jan 1. Only unrestricted users have permission to use the equipment on those days. Unrestricted users have building access and keys to the lab doors. Do not leave doors open or let anyone without keys into the labs. Happy Holidays!

November 19, 2009 I will be out of town during the holiday break next week. This is important information about the lab schedule.

The labs will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov 23, 24 & 25, from 8 AM to 5 PM. Kiersten will be available during those times to assist with coating samples and problem solving. Her email is krschier@mtu.edu and cell number is 906-281-1169.

The labs will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 & 27 and, of course, over both weekends. The M&M Bldg will be locked. Access during those times is limited to facility users with after-hours privileges.

In case of emergency I can be reached by cell 906-369-1875 or email opmills@mtu.edu.

I wish you all a relaxing and safe holiday!

August 27, 2009 I believe most of you know Kiersten Schierbeek, the senior ACMAL undergrad lab technician. Kiersten has completed her 3 1/2 year stay with us at ACMAL and, while we are sad to see her go as both a friend and a colleague, we wish her all the best. Please join me in acknowledging Kiersten's many achievements and contributions here at ACMAL - krschier@mtu.edu

Looking to the future, Claire Drom will assume the senior lab tech position and will serve as the main contact person in my absence. She is joined by Nils Bergman, new to us this summer, in supporting the ACMAL lab activities. We will post Claire's and Nil's fall schedules on the Image Analysis room door (631). Their contact information is posted in each lab.

June 1, 2009 I will be out of the office

Friday, June 5th Thursday, June 11, Friday June 12 and Monday June 15

Kiersten and Claire will be here during my absence. If you need their help I recommend that you email them ahead of time. krschier@mtu.edu cfdrom@mtu.edu.

Labs will be open from 8 to 5 to restricted users all next week. Labs will be locked all other times. Unrestricted users have 24/7 access during the week.

Ed Laitila (369-2041) can help with emergencies (water leakage, smoke, etc). Ruth Kramer (487-3375) would be able to answer 6400 SEM questions. Contact DawDon (405-397-4136) or Kumar Vanga if you have FESEM or FIB problems. Contact Anjana Asthana about TEM questions. aasthana@mtu.edu

You can always call me if something comes up, but please remember that I may not be able to respond right away. 369-1875.

IMPORTANT - Inexperienced users will not use the scopes while I am on vacation without supervision of the student lab technicians. This includes anyone who just completed the Fall SEM course or FESEM/FIB seminars. Only a few people are qualified to use the TEM and you know who you are. Let me know if you are not sure about your status.

April 17, 2009 I will be out of town all next week at a conference.

Kiersten adn Claire will be here at their shceduled times, check their schedule on Room 631 door. If you need their help I recommend that you email them ahead of time. krschier@mtu.edu cfdrom@mtu.edu.

Labs will be open from 8 to 5 to restricted users all next week. Labs will be locked all other times. Unrestricted users have 24/7 access during the week.

Ed Laitila (369-2041) will open and close labs. Ruth Kramer (487-3375) would be able to answer 6400 SEM questions. Contact DawDon (405-397-4136) or Kumar Vanga if you have FESEM or FIB problems. Contact Anjana Asthana about TEM questions. aasthana@mtu.edu

You can always call me if something comes up, but please remember that I am in meetings and may not be able to respond right away. 369-1875.

IMPORTANT - Inexperienced users will not use the scopes while I am on vacation. This includes anyone who just completed the Fall SEM course or FESEM/FIB seminars. Only a few people are qualified to use the TEM and you know who you are. Let me know if you are not sure about your status.

March 5, 2009 I'll be away from the labs beginning tomorrow and I return to work Monday, March 16. Kiersten and Claire will be away too.

Labs will be open from 8 to 5 to restricted users all next week. Labs will be locked all other times. Unrestricted users have 24/7 access during the week.

Ed Laitila (369-2041) will open and close labs. He will also handle liquid nitrogen dispensing. Ruth Kramer (487-3375) would be able to answer 6400 SEM questions. Contact DawDon (405-397-4136) or Kumar Vanga if you have FESEM or FIB problems.

You can always call me if something comes up, but please remember that I am on vacation. 369-1875.

IMPORTANT - Inexperienced users will not use the scopes while I am on vacation. This includes anyone who just completed the Fall SEM course or FESEM/FIB seminars. Let me know if you are not sure about your status.

February 27, 2009 This is a reminder that I will be on vacation beginning next Friday, March 6 and will return to work Monday, March 13. I'll send more info next week about lab coverage.

February 11, 2009 All ACMAL staff will be away during spring break, March 9-13. We will return March 16th. I will identify people who can help in the event of problems.

January 13, 2009 The girls are back from break. Their spring semester hours are;

Kiersten - 9-12 and 2-5 on Tues and Thurs Claire - 2-5 Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri. 12-5 Thurs

December 4, 2008 Holiday lab schedule.

Labs are open to restricted users Dec 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31. Unrestricted users have access during holidays.

Owen - Vacation entire Christmas week and Wed, Thur & Friday of New Years week. I will be in town and can be reached by phone if needed. Kiersten and Claire will be gone after Dec 16th. They will return the first week of classes.

October 2008 Kiersten and Claire are working 10 hours or less each week. Please adjust your expectations for our response time.

July 17, 2008 Lab staff schedules for remainder of summer.

Owen - Vacation July 23. Meeting August 4-7. Vacation part of the week of August 25. Kiersten - Off beginning August 4 until September 3 Claire - Here until school starts September 2

June 25, 2008 I will be away from work after noon on July 2 and all day Thursday the 3rd. The 4th is a holiday and the labs will be closed. Please contact me before then if you need help. Claire (cfdrom@mtu.edu), Ruth (ruthie@mtu.edu) and Pat (pdquimby@mtu.edu) will be available to help if you need it. Their phone numbers are in each lab on the whiteboards. You can reach me by phone 906-369-1875. MY5200 students, wait until July 7th to use the scopes when we will be able to assist.

March 19, 2008 Owen has returned from vacation.

Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM

July 20, 2010 I will begin offering the 6 hr training seminar for FESEM certification soon. Please let me know if you are interested in this training. You must have certification to use the JEOL 6400 SEM to take this training. I also ask that you take this training immediately before you plan to use the FESEM. Students that wait 6 months or more often forget what they learned and need to be retrained. This first training is free but we charge for a second training session. I will schedule training in small groups of 3-4.

Let me know if you want training.

June 21, 2010 the FESEM is operational and ready for use.

June 20, 2010 The FESEM is down. I'll be back from vacation Tuesday and will check it then.

May 20, 2010 The FESEM is now available from 9am to 1pm tomorrow, Friday the 21st.

May 19, 2010 The Hitachi engineers will be working on the FESEM this afternoon. Call me at 369-1875 before you come for an appointment

May 3, 2010 You can schedule time on the FESEM now. The Hitachi engineer is here and want s to see if the scope HV/gun valve issue will develop again.

If we have trouble I will take it offline again.

May 1, 2010 There is an internal power supply problem in the FESEM and I've shut the system down. The Hitachi engineer will be here Monday to get us back online.

April 29, 2010 We have experienced an intermittent problem with the gun isolation valve. At times the valve will not respond until many seconds after turning off the HV. In some cases it will not open (or close) at all, and the HV cannot be turned on or off. When the system is not working the stage won't go to the home position and the sample cannot be removed from the chamber.

I have tried a few fixes this morning and the valve seems to be working okay. If you see any problems with the valve, let me know right away. I need to test the system in a "fail" mode. My cell is 369-1875.

The Hitachi engineer is planning to come Monday.

April 28, 2010 Again today the gun valve did not open at the proper time. An error message appears on the computer screen. I got it to work but we need to watch it carefully. Let me know if you see anymore problems.

April 27, 2010 There is a report that the gun valve may not be closing when the HV is turned off. You should hear a loud hiss-thunk when the HV is turned off. If not, let me know right away.

April 7, 2010 I made a repair and tested it for 4 hours. It is okay to use it now. Please let me know if you see any error messages. Make a note of the message.

April 7, 2010 The FESEM is down (not working) due to a cooling water problem. I'm working on it.

April 6, 2010 The FESEM is out of order today.

March 28, 2010 I will vent the FESEM chamber today at 5 pm. The vacuum won't be back to acceptable levels until tomorrow morning.

March 19, 2010 FESEM file saving problem is fixed now. You should be safe saving files.

March 16, 2010 I have not heard from Hitachi yet and I won't be here tomorrow. In the meantime, you are free to use the scope. I suggest that you save a few images at a time, rather than wait until you've acquire 10 images. That may prevent loss of data. There is a problem saving image files on the FESEM. I'm waiting for a call from Hitachi about a fix. Don't use it int he meantime.

January 21, 2010 We have installed 4pi hardware and Revolution software on the FESEM, 6400 SEM and TEM. Instructions for using the software can be found here http://electronmicroscopy.org/ Navigate to Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM > Microanalysis. Note that the instructions are written for the FESEM and some microscope operations will be different. We are actively working on revised instructions for the 6400 and TEM. They should be published within a week or so. Few of you use standards-based quantitative microanalysis and instead use semi-quantitative analysis. I've mentioned in earlier messages that depending on the geometry and composition of your sample, error in the results could approach 20%. I think it would be a good idea to use an off-line microanalysis software package to verify your results. Please download that software, DTSA II, here. http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div837/837.02/epq/dtsa2/index.html This is Java software and like ImageJ is free (actually, you paid for it through federal taxes). Let me know if you have questions.

January 7, 2010 The 6400 SEM is working with new 4 pi software for EDS (same as FESEM and TEM) and a new revision of dPict (image acquisition). If possible, wait until next week to use it when I can show you how.

December 29, 2009 The FESEm is ready for use. The bake is completed and I aligned the column. The deflectors (Column Alignment window) are adjusted for 1kV. You will notice that those adjustments are farther out of alignment than usual. Let me know if you need help bringing them into alignment for your working conditions. I'd be interested to know if you find that the imaging performance is improved.

December 28, 2009 I am baking the FESEM gun overnight. It will be back online before noon tomorrow. The 6400 4pi EDS is calibrated and working. The 4pi x-ray mapping is working but needs calibration. The Geller imaging is working but needs calibration. I will complete both tasks this week. The WDS is not working and I will get to it as I have time. I am still conditioning the 4000 to 300kV. I'm making progress but there are 2 issues. First, I am having trouble getting the 300kV alignment straight. Second, the beam is flickering due to outgassing in the gun chamber. I noticed flickering at 200kV today too, but the scope was usable. I am returning the scope to 300kV and will run it at saturation until tomorrow morning when I have a 200kV job from 9 to noon. Again, if you have TEM work make an appointment with me so I can have the scope aligned at 200kV for you.

December 4, 2009 The battery backup is beeping in the FESEM lab. It is not a problem with the scope. I am repairing it now.

September 9, 2009 I'm looking for people who need (not want) FESEM training. You must have already completed the SEM course - you don't qualify to take the training if you are in the SEM course now. Please do not sign up if you plan to use the FESEM at some future time. I will be offering these sessions as needed.

August 14, 2009 The FESEM EDS is working.

August 14, 2009 The FESEM EDS system is now up and running.

August 14, 2009 I need to adjust the EDS processor settings on the FESEM EDS system. That should go quickly. I'll be working on it at 11 this morning.

June 18, 2009 The fine focus control quit working. The Hitachi engineer found a loose connector and the scope has been serviced and is ready to use.

June 8, 2009 I have completed the install and configuration of a new version of the Revolution EDS software for the FESEM. The user interface looks very much like the old software versions and the basic file management system is the same. Contextual menus are used to a great degree, accessed by a right mouse click. Besides the basic qualitative EDS function a few features are easier to use including x-ray mapping, linescans, digital imaging. Keep in mind that this is a new software version - not hardware - so we have not extended the system's fundamental capabilities. We are building a eTraining module to assist you and in the meantime we'd be happy to take you through the software use.

June 1, 2009 I've installed new software on the EDS system. All is well, except the deat time is too high. I am pretty sure I know what it is and will make the appropriate adjustment.

February 11, 2009 We've identified the problem with the HV shutting off and I've ordered the parts - they should be here next week. In the meantime, I've bypassed the problem and the scope is usable. I doubt the the HV problem will resurface. Let me know if you observe anything out of the ordinary.

February 2, 2009 The HV continues to shut off unexpectedly. I am not sure why and neither is Hitachi. The Hitachi engineer is tentatively set to come next week.

Please continue to use the FESEM in the meantime and notify me immediately if the HV goes off. I am especially interested in a "rattling" noise that occurs with the HV shut off. If I am able to get to the scope before the noise stops, I may be able to follow the noise to the problem.

The FESEM maintenance scheduled for today, tomorrow and Wed is cancelled. I opened the calendar for your scope use.

January 30, 2009 I made a few repairs and the scope ran at 20kV all afternoon. I think it is ready for use. Let me know if you have any problems.

January 29, 2009 I may have identified and fixed the HV shut off problem today. I used the scope for 2 hours myself with no shutoff. Keep using it and let me know if it happens to you.

January 28, 2009 The HV is intermittently shutting off on the FESEM. I've got a call into to Hitachi. In the meantime, I'd say it's okay to keep using the scope, but you may have trouble occasionally. I'd appreciate it if you listen and look for any odd things that happen when the HV shuts off. Especially keep an eye on the IP vacuum.

I'll keep you updated.

The Hitachi engineer will come late next Monday and stay at least till Wednesday to look at some problems with the FESEM.

January 27, 2009 Please save images to the "D" drive only.

January 19, 2009 The FESEM is back online and ready to use. I ask that you let me know if you see anything unusual, especially with the vacuum system. Thanks for your patience.

January 12, 2009 The compressor is dead on the chiller. We will order a new one, installation is tentatively set for Friday the 16th.

January 8, 2009 The chiller is not cooling so I've taken the FESEM off-line.

November 21, 2008 The upper SE dector is not working properly, poor image quality. Problem was a piece of dust on the detector plates. I dusted it off and the SE images are fine now.

November 18, 2008 We installed a special fixture on the FESEM stage. You will be able to see the fixture on the chamber scope but it will not interfere with your sample or ability to position the stage. I tested the sccope an it all works fine. Let me know if you have trouble.

October 10. 2008 The FESEM is back up and running. Hitachi repaired the vacuum system and rebuilt the hard drive. The software now runs faster. As always, please save your data to the D drive. Also, I notice today that the EDS is not working properly. I'll repair and give up an update later.

October 8, 2008 The vacuum system will not stay on. Hitachi will be here tonight to make repair to this problem and to fix the slow computer trouble too.

September 23, 2008 The Hitachi engineer is in town to a)move the SEM 3 feet further from the wall to minimize electric fields and b) install a new hard drive to speed up the computer. Should be done mid afternoon tomorrow.

August 12, 2008 The FESEM is working. I had to reload the Hitachi software and I checked the system operation over but you need to let me know if you observe anything odd. OWen

August 12, 2008 I am still having troubles with the FESEM hard disk. I'll let you know when it is back working

August 8, 2008 The computer drive is full and has been causing slow operation. I am deleting files to make more room. I've setup some program removals and I'm going home. 'I'll finish up in the morning. Scope will be back online by 10AM.

July 17, 2008 The stage errors are repaired.

June 26, 2008 The direction of stage movement is reversed. I have made a temporary change that makes the trackball work correctly but the mouse stage movement is still reversed. I am working with Hitachi to resolve the problem. The FESEM can be used while this is being repaired.

March 28, 2008 The Hitachi engineers will perform routine maintenance on both the FESEM and FIB during the week of April 14th. The scopes will be unavailable after noon on the 14th and will be back on line by noon April 18th. Plan your work accordingly.

February 3, 2008 4700 FESEM, reports of inability to stigmate properly. I tested with calibration specimen and it looks fine.

Routine maintenance - The FIB, FESEM and 6400 are all due for factory maintenance. In each case the scope will be down most of a week. I'll alert you to this schedule.

June 3, 2008 There is an error message that appears when saving images that is the result of the large number of images stored on the hard drive. I'm going to clear them out (tomorrow?) so let me know if you need to save them on another disk.

Hitachi FB-2000A FIB

July 23, 2010 I will install the SEM stage in the FIB this afternoon for a Monday project. I'll swap the TEM stage back in after we are done and the scope will be ready to use Tuesday AM.

July 6, 2010 I have ordered the repair parts and Hitachi will begin installation next week. The FIB should be back online ~ July 15 or 16.

July 2, 2010 The FIB is down with an expired emitter. I will let you know the status of the repair but I cannot imagine that it will be back online before mid to late July.

June 1, 2010 The SEM tage is installed on the FIB now. I'll need 1 day notice if anyone needs the TEM stage back in this week. We have external clients coming in next week to use the FIB Mon - Wed, so it will be unavailable till late next week.

Plan your use accordinly.

May 12, 2010 The FIB will be down for annual maintenance next week, Monday through Wed, maybe into Thursday.

March 29, 2010 The FIB trackball is working intermittently. I'm ordering a new one but it may not be here until next week.

February 22, 2010 I still have the SEM stage installed on the FIB. Let me know if you need the other stage this week.

February 16, 2010 I have a TEM sample prep project to do Thursday. Wed evening, I will install the SEM stage and let it pump overnight. I'll pull the SEM stage when we are done Thursday afternoon. The FIB, with TEM stage, will be ready for use Friday morning.

December 21, 2009 I have installed a software operated NPGS enable switch to replace the blue manual switch we use now. The new switch is controlled by 2 radio buttons in the LH NPGS control panel, labelled "FIB" and "NPGS". "FIB" corresponds to the "SEM" switch setting we use now.

June 18, 2009 We found a small hole in a part that carries cooling water. It will have to be replaced. At this time, we expect the Hitachi engineer to return next week or the week after to make the repair. The repair might take 2 days. The system is running and can be used. PLan accordingly.

April 28, 2009 The FIB is back online. The problem was a bad mouse.

April 27, 2009 The software will not load after booting the computer. Waiting for Hitachi to respond.

February 6, 2009 The NPGS computer is back and working fine. Ready to use.

February 4, 2009 The NPGS computer is not working. I'll bring it in for repair today.

February 2, 2009 Be aware that I've changed the deposition gun position slightly.

January 28, 2009 The new NPGS system is installed. I have adjusted the calibration and I think it is very close. Let me know if this is not true. The software is a bit different but close enough to be familiar.

January 23, 2009 Check out this website.

This is a great website for FIB related info with sections on: European Focused Ion Beam Users Group

EFUG presentations sorted by topic (since 2000)

December 5, 2008 Water filter dirty, filter canister begins leaking. Replaced filter and canister, eliminated the in-line pressure regulator. Water pressure surging, tank level low. FIB is back on-line

November 4, 2008 There was a report of short-term beam current fluctuations and out-of-range beam currents. I checked it out today and here's the results.

Short term beam current changes. FIB beam stability is specified at 5% per hour. During my tests today I did not observe changes outside that range.

Out of range beam currents. I aligned the FIB column today and all beam currents are within specs. Note that the beam currents will change over a longer period (months). If your work is very sensitive to longer term beam current changes you need to keep a log so we can decide when to align the column. It takes a few hours to align the column and I don't mind doing it as often as needed.

A final note. You have got to let me know if you are having trouble achieving an experimental result that may be related to the instrument.

November 3, 2008 Reports of fluctuating beam current. Extraction current is stable. I'll realign the scope tomorrow.

October 31, 2008 Re-plumbed the vacuum lines to steel on the service alley side of wall. All seems fine.

Oct 24, 2008 The recirculator is not working. I replaced the pump, cleaned all the filters, changed the water. All is well now. I did not test the beam but I don't expect problems since the ion pumps were on during the repair

October 10. 2008 The FIB depo gun is working properly and is height adjusted. Do be sure to check the height adjustment anyway. Also, Please use M0-100 for depo work, NOT M0-50.

October 8, 2008 I have replenished the depo gun W supply and aligned the nozzle to be very close to the specimen surface.

August 22, 2008 The W supply in the depo gun may be depleted. I'll check it today.

August 8, 2008 If you want to use the depo gun, please mount your sample in the holder with back handle. I have set the depo gun height for that holder. Read on to learn more. Once set, the depo gun position will work with a one particular specimen holder. If the other holder is used for depo, it is likely the gun will hit the specimen.

July 31, 2008 I am planning to swap the SEM stage in for one day tomorrow.

July 18, 2008 The depo gun is pumped out and the beam is stable. FIB is up and running and ready to use.

July 17, 2008 We have completed the swap back to the TEM stage. The WCO compound in the depo gun adsorbs moisture when exposed to atmosphere (during chamber vents to swap stages) and has to be pumped out. We are continuing to pump moisture out of depo gun. That may take remainder of today and even into tonight.

July 8, 2008 The ion beam has been stable for 36 hours. Please begin using the scope. Let me know if you observe any problems.

June 30, 2008 Sorry but the beam stability was short lived. Don't use the FIB. I'll keep you updates.

June 30, 2008 The ion beam is stable this afternoon. You may begin using the FIB. Please let me know if anything changes.

June 16, 2008 The ion beam is unstable. I am working with Hitachi to resolve this problem. In the mean time please do not use the FIB.

June 17, 2008 I'm having trouble with the new NPGS install so I will temporarily reinstall the old system. You may begin FIB use again tomorrow morning.

June 6, 2008 I am completing installation of the NPGS system. This process will involve calibrating the scale of milled dimensions to actual dimensions. This process requires using the FESEM to verify actual dimensions. After the installation is complete you all will have to become familiar with the new user interface and CAD program. Expect to spend more time for your upcoming work.

June 3, 2008 I am installing the new NPGS system on the FIB. I started this afternoon and should be done by weeks end, if not sooner. I have placed the "Do Not Use..." sign on the door, but it is okay to use it if you will be using the on-board software.

March 28, 2008 The Hitachi engineers will perform routine maintenance on both the FESEM and FIB during the week of April 14th. The scopes will be unavailable after noon on the 14th and will be back on line by noon April 18th. Plan your work accordingly.

February 3, 2008 FIB, TEM stage is reinstalled. scope is working fine, no reports of beam instability.

NPGS. we have 2 new, latest version NPGS system. One will be installed on the 6400 for e-beam litho. The other will replace the one on the FIB. This installation will result in some downtime for NPGS users. I HIGHLY recommend that you back up your patterns to a disk before this switch. I will be scheduling this install with FIB users.

Routine maintenance - The FIB, FESEM and 6400 are all due for factory maintenance. In each case the scope will be down most of a week. I'll alert you to this schedule.

JEOL JSM-6400 SEM

July 20, 2010 The JEOL 6400 SEM maintenance visit is scheduled next week on Tues, Wed and Thurs and I will be available on a limited basis during that time. I will attend a conference during the 1st week in August and will return to work on Thurs, Aug 12.

June 10, 2010 the aperture was misadjusted so badly as to block the beam. this happened during SEM course projects.

June 9, 2010 The SEM is down but I can't get to it till tomorrow morning. I'll let you know when its back online.

April 9, 2010 Most of you know that I installed a new EDS system at Christmas. The instructions for using that system have been in the lab since then.

I also installed the newest version of dPict (digital image collection software) and just updated the instructions. dPict has new capabilities. This is new - you can collect a frame averaged image which is good for charging or beam sensitive samples. It will also operate in the same slow scan mode you are accustomed to using. A software button has been added so that you can append the magnification to your image title.

April 8, 2010 The 6400 is working now and is not being used this afternoon.

April 7, 2010 6400 SEM is broken. I'm working on it.

March 4, 2010 6400 EDS is working.

March 4, 2010 The EDS system on the 6400 is down. I'm working on it. Stay tuned to this channel for updates.

February 3, 2010 I've repaired the motorized stage for the 6400 and it appears to be working fine. Let me know if you have trouble.

February 1, 2010 My stage fix did not work. There is a bigger problem. I've disconnected the stage motors and reinstalled the manual controls. It is pretty self-explainatory but call me if you need help.

February 1, 2010 We've had some problems with the stage. The X axis will "slip" and become out of agreement with the software position. I have located a problem and I am looking for a replacement part. In the mean time, I have installed a state-of-the-art elastomer (rubber : -) band to eliminate the slipping. Please let me know if you continue to have problems.

January 22, 2010 We have a policy to limit SEM reservations to 2 hrs/session. We did this because a few users could tie up the SEMs for days. I don't rigorously enforce this because, for the most part, you all don't abuse it. Lately, however, some of you have reserved 3 & 4 hour blocks for one session. This is sometimes unavoidable but please avoid long sessions. I'll be keeping a closer eye on this.

January 21, 2010 We have installed 4pi hardware and Revolution software on the FESEM, 6400 SEM and TEM. Instructions for using the software can be found here http://electronmicroscopy.org/ Navigate to Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM > Microanalysis. Note that the instructions are written for the FESEM and some microscope operations will be different. We are actively working on revised instructions for the 6400 and TEM. They should be published within a week or so. Few of you use standards-based quantitative microanalysis and instead use semi-quantitative analysis. I've mentioned in earlier messages that depending on the geometry and composition of your sample, error in the results could approach 20%. I think it would be a good idea to use an off-line microanalysis software package to verify your results. Please download that software, DTSA II, here. http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div837/837.02/epq/dtsa2/index.html This is Java software and like ImageJ is free (actually, you paid for it through federal taxes). Let me know if you have questions.

January 7, 2010 The 6400 SEM is working with new 4 pi software for EDS (same as FESEM and TEM) and a new revision of dPict (image acquisition). If possible, wait until next week to use it when I can show you how.

December 22, 2009 We are still not up and running yet. I'm working on it and in the mean time we'll have to reply on the FESEM.

December 18, 2009 I am still working to the software back online. the eds is working but no stage control or imaging. i hope we can get it back up next week.

December 17, 2009 6400 SEM I have the EDS system working but the imaging and stage control is still out. I'll be working on it today and tomorrow.

December 15, 2009 The 6400 system will not be back online until the end of this week. I waited yesterday for information on software configuration that did not come. I am sure I will get it today. The detector will arrive tomorrow for installation. I will keep you informed of the SEM status.

December 14, 2009 I am installing a new computer in the 6400 lab to operate the imaging and EDS systems. At the same time, we are switching to another EDS hardware/software system by 4pi. The software is called Revolution and is already being used in the FESEM and TEM labs. Excellent documentation on the software operation is provided here. http://electronmicroscopy.org/FE_MA_XSA.htm A field service engineer will be here Wednesday to install a new EDS detector. If all goes well the system should be finished and operational no later than Friday. If you have work that must be done this week we can probably accommodate you on the FESEM. There is absolutely no other time to make the changes so please bear with me during this period.

November 2, 2009 Nearly all of you use the standardless quantitative analysis on the EDS systems. I need to remind you that the error may be as high as 20% or more, depending on the elements you choose. We have an amazing array of physical standards and can help you set up a rigorous analysis.

August 18, 2009 The 6400 backscatter detector is working. X-ray mapping is not working on the 6400.

August 14, 2009 The 6400 EDS is working but except NO x-ray mapping.

March 24, 2009 The 6400 is broken. I'll fix of tomorrow.

December 4, 2008 The SEM embedded computer would not start after reset. Scope unusable. Taced problem to Lens I/O board (2), JEOL sent replacement IC's. Problem repaired, scope is usable.

November 3, 2008 I replaced the RH CRT cont & bright pots last week. Sometime over the weekend one wire broke free and the RH image was missing. Works fine after re-soldering the wire.

September 5, 2008 We have repaired a problem that prevented the PC from talking to the EDS control box.

August 14, 2008 The 6400 SEM EDS detector is not yet working properly. We are working on it now.

August 8, 2008 The EDS system is operating properly now. The cable carrying the x-ray pulse signal had grounded creating noise that the electronics registered as x-rays at 100% dead-time.

August 5, 2008 The EDS system is not functioning properly. Owen is consulting the product engineers, and the problem should be fixed once he returns. Also, images are not saving properly in dPict.

July 17, 2008 We continue to correct and adjust the computer login system. Please use the system AND paper login simultaneously.

July 2, 2008 The 6400 will be out of service from 5PM Thursday, July 3 till 8AM Monday, July 7.

June 6, 2008 I have repaired the 6400 and it is operational and available for use.

June 6, 2008 The 6400 is down - inoperable due to some overheating problem. Likely not serious. I will post a message when we are back online I am installing the NPGS lithography system on teh 6400 and will be blocking out time to complete that project.

April 1, 2008 Today, we are activating the computer logbook system for the 6400 SEM ONLY. 6400 users, please sign the paper logbook and swipe your MTU id card when you begin and end your session. THIS IS IMPORTANT - after we are confident the system works I will install a switch that will disable the SEM until the card is swiped.

MSE undergrads - those of you working on senior projects may not be in the system yet. To prevent delays, please contact me BEFORE you need to use the SEM.

February 3, 2008 NPGS. we have 2 new, latest version NPGS system. One will be installed on the 6400 for e-beam litho. The other will replace the one on the FIB. This installation will result in some downtime for NPGS users. I HIGHLY recommend that you back up your patterns to a disk before this switch. I will be scheduling this install with FIB users.

6400 SEM - a-okay

Routine maintenance - The FIB, FESEM and 6400 are all due for factory maintenance. In each case the scope will be down most of a week. I'll alert you to this schedule.

JEOL JEM-4000FX TEM

July 20, 2010 A TEM maintenance visit is scheduled for the week of August 23rd and I will be here but unavailable during that week.

June 14, 2010 We have had yet another hard drive failure in the Gatan computer. We are working to get it back online as soon as possible. Probably won't be repaired today.

The drives don't appear to be dependable so I hope you are all saving your data off line.

June 1, 2010 I found the specimen holder leaking air into the column this morning. It had a very big fiber across the o-ring. It is easy to check with the optical microscope. Please check the sample holder o-rings for fibers, etc.

May 26, 2010 I mentioned in an email that we had begun to use the ACD's this week. I thought you all remembered how to use them from last year. MAybe not - the dewars warmed up during a session and the scope shut down. The notes below are a provided as a refresher. Again, let me know if you have trouble.

These are liquid nitrogen cold traps that scavenge contamination from the specimen chamber. The procedure is briefly described here. Fill silver dewar with LN2 from Rm 637. Column vacuum must be 1 x 10-3 Pa or lower. ACD's are located on either side and slightly behind the column somewhat above the specimen chamber. Cover the viewing port. Roll the stairs to the front of the TEM. Remove heaters or plug from RH ACD inlet. Insert special funnel and slowly add LN2 from silver dewar until full. Repeat on other side. Note that the ACD is harder to reach in LH side due to location of EDS detector. Wait 15 minutes and refill. Cover inlet ports with white caps. Wait 15 minutes until vacuum improves. Under most conditions the column vacuum will reach mid 10-6 Pa range.

When your session ends, you have to boil off the LN2 using the ACD heaters - ESPECIALLY IF YOU INTEND TO REMOVE THE HOLDER.. If you dump the column vacuum water vapor can condense on the ACD plates in the chamber and make a BIG problem. At the end of your session, remove the white caps and replace with the heaters. Connect the electric cable. In the LH drawer, press both red ACD buttons. This turns off the column ion pump. The ACD's can be turned off after 1/2 hour by depressing and holding the ACD buttons down until the button lights go off. Note that the column vacuum will still be too poor to use the scope.

We will be happy to show you how to do these steps.

May 25, 2010 We have started to use the ACD's since the humidity is so high. You will have to allow an extra 1/2 or more to get the column vacuum into the mid 10^-5 range. Please let me know if you are not familiar with using the ACD's!

May 21, 2010 We will have 1 week of maintenance on the TEM, probably the week of June 28. Plan your work accordingly.

January 21, 2010 We have installed 4pi hardware and Revolution software on the FESEM, 6400 SEM and TEM. Instructions for using the software can be found here http://electronmicroscopy.org/ Navigate to Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM > Microanalysis. Note that the instructions are written for the FESEM and some microscope operations will be different. We are actively working on revised instructions for the 6400 and TEM. They should be published within a week or so. Few of you use standards-based quantitative microanalysis and instead use semi-quantitative analysis. I've mentioned in earlier messages that depending on the geometry and composition of your sample, error in the results could approach 20%. I think it would be a good idea to use an off-line microanalysis software package to verify your results. Please download that software, DTSA II, here. http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div837/837.02/epq/dtsa2/index.html This is Java software and like ImageJ is free (actually, you paid for it through federal taxes). Let me know if you have questions.

January 11, 2010 The TEM is back online. The computer was repaired....again.

January 7, 2010 The 6400 SEM is working with new 4 pi software for EDS (same as FESEM and TEM) and a new revision of dPict (image acquisition). If possible, wait until next week to use it when I can show you how. The TEM is still down due to computer problems. Parts are on order.

January 4, 2010 The TEM computer is broken again. Its going to the shop tomorrow.

December 21, 2009 I am working to get the TEM operable at 300kV. It will take some time but I believe I can make the scope available for 200kV use during the time I am working. Here's how I see this working. I will continue increasing the kV during the break. Email me if you need to use the scope. The TEM won't be available "in case you need it". Only firm appointments will be honored. During those appointments, I will temporarily lower the kV back to 200 for use and afterwards immediately continue towards the 300kV goal. That means the scope will normally NOT be at 200kV. Please bear with me, this is the only time we will have to accomplish the higher kV.

December 17, 2009 4000FX TEM The computer is back (again) and seems to be working fine.

December 15, 2009 The TEM is down with computer problems. Please look for an email update tomorrow. We'll reschedule any missed appointments.

December 4, 2009 I will be installing a new ion pump on the TEM over the break. The TEM will be offline Dec 21 & 22.

September 25, 2009 We have begun to always use the ACD's (anti-contaminator devices) on the TEM now. These are liquid nitrogen cold traps that scavenge contamination from the specimen chamber. The procedure is briefly described here

Fill silver dewar with LN2 from Rm 637. Column vacuum must be 1 x 10-3 Pa or lower. ACD's are located on either side and slightly behind the column somewhat above the specimen chamber. Cover the viewing port. Roll the stairs to the front of the TEM. Remove heaters or plug from RH ACD inlet. Insert special funnel and slowly add LN2 from silver dewar until full. Repeat on other side. Note that the ACD is harder to reach in LH side due to location of EDS detector. Wait 15 minutes and refill. Cover inlet ports with white caps. Wait 15 minutes until vacuum improves. Under most conditions the column vacuum will reach mid 10-6 Pa range.

The dewars must be refilled every 3-4 hours. This is not optional. If you let them warm up the vacuum system will shut down along with the electron beam.

At the end of your session, remove the white caps and replace with the heaters. Connect the electric cable. In the LH drawer, press both red ACD buttons AND Bake.

In the morning the ACD's may have to be turned off by pushing them until the lamps go off. The Bake will always have to be turned off by simply depressing and releasing the button - no need to hold it down. The column ion pump will come on but will likely shut off again in 2-10 minutes. Toggle the column pump controller off-them back on to restart. You may have to repeat this up to 4-5 times to get it to stay on.

We will be happy to show you how to do these steps.

August 31, 2009 I'll be starting a column bake today. SHould be back online Wed.

August 18, 2009 When the TEM hard drives failed recently we discovered that some data was stored on those drives but no where else. I failed to make clear to the TEM users that I cannot be responsible for data storage. For the record - your data is your responsibility.

August 18, 2009 The TEM camera and EDS are up now.

August 14, 2009 The TEM EDS is working. Gatan camera is not working but may be by Monday. I'll advise.

August 14, 2009 The TEM computer is back but not yet on-line. I am working on it.

August 12, 2009 2 of the 3 drives in the TEM computer have failed. They will try once more to recover the files but even if they are successful the directory structure will be lost. We will have to locate files in 300GB of information. In even the best situation we will have to reload all the programs.

August 10, 2009 The TEM is computer is still in the shop and the system is inoperable. The hard drive repair is not going well. The repair folks are trying to save the data on the damaged drive. I'll get a update from them late this afternoon.

'August 6, 2009 We've been advised to use the anti-contamination devices (ACD's), which are liquid nitrogen cold fingers that sit above and below the specimen. Any gaseous contamination in the specimen area is trapped on these cold surfaces.

The abbreviated procedure is to fill the 2 dewars with liquid nitrogen ever 4 hours. When the session is complete the user will connect the heaters to the dewars and push the ACD Heat buttons in the LH drawer. The heaters will evaporate the LN2 and bring the fingers to room temp and then shut off in about 1 hour. During the heating cycle the column ion pump will be shut off and the column will be pumped with only the diffusion pump. When the cycle is complete the system will automatically turn on the ion pump.

And this is the problem. The ion pump does not come back on. It has to be manually toggled back on. I am working with JEOL to identify the issue. It could be that we haven't used the ACDs in so long that there is a tremendous amount of contamination that is released each time we heat. If that is the case the problem will solve itself over time.

In the meantime, we will continue to use the ACD's. If you need help please let me know and we'll do it for you.

I will keep you informed.

July 28, 2009 The vacuum recovery after inserting a holder was taking over 6 hours. I baked the column ion pump and lens over the weekend. The column vac is 2X10-5, a considerable improvement. I haven't evaluated pumping speed after holder insertion.

June 29, 2009 Water vapor is getting into the column when air is accidentally admitted during sample insertion. The water molecules are slow to pump off the inner surfaces. Two things will happen.

I will bake the column. We will quit accidentally admitting air. To accomplish this only Anjana and I will insert the samples.

The scope can be used now.

June 8, 2009 The HV shuts off intermittently but only when the scope is not being used. This is a problem I've addressed before and I think can be remedied with a small adjustment.

April 15, 2009 The LH goniometer control "slips" when turning in the CW direction. The problem can be overcome using the 1-2 position control. I will save the repair until we vent the column for something else.

April 2, 2009 The new 4pi hardware was successfully installed today.

February 11, 2009 The TEM is ready to use. I have replaced the broken goniometer with a spare and replaced the condenser apertures. The scope is aligned at 200kV.

Note about the goniometer, there is a limited range that the stage can be moved. If you feel any resistance at all, stop turning. If you think there is something wrong, that is, the stage should more farther, call me to check the problem right away.

February 11, 2009 I have replaced the goniometer with a spare and replaced the condenser lens apertures. The scope is working and can be used.

February 2, 2009 The TEM stage drive is broken and the scope cannot be used. I'll update you when it's back online.

January 26, 2009 If you are a TEM users, read on.

I've aligned the TEM at 100kV and 200kV. I ask that you always return the TEM to 200kV.

Here's how to change the kV.

1. Ensure that the filament is unsaturated (red LED on Autoramp).

2. The airlock must be closed.

3. Use the toggle switch above the HT button, labeled 4 on the attached pdf file.

4. Turn up the CRT intensity on the TEM (left hand side screen)

5. Toggle the switch up to raise the kV and down to lower. Watch the kV number on the CRT as you toggle the switch.

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROL PANELS

Please let me know if you have any questions.

January 23, 2009 TEM of nanotubes

I saw this message on the Microscopy Society of America listserver. Maybe some of you would like to join the listserve? Follow this link http://www.microscopy.org/ and look for "Microscopy Listserver" under "Reference and Education Activities" section.

January 22, 2009 Always use the booking calendars to make appointments to use the scopes - even for scopes that don't get much use like the TEM. I need to see who is using the scope and when.

October 29, 2008 The column vacuum drops badly when the stage position control is moved. The vacuum drop is enough to shut off the HV. YOu can prevent this by simply moving that control BEFORE you open the airlock. I'll look into a fix. Be on the lookout for things like this to come up since we are using the TEM far more than even a few months ago.

October 12, 2008 The stage pre-pump is not working right and the column vacuum drops when the stage is inserted. I'm investigating.

October 2, 2008 We installed and trained with the in-situ AFM stage and controller. Please use the calendar to reserve time since use will increase.

July 17, 2008 We changed the recirculator water and filters.. Ethylene glycol was used to prevent algae growth. After the shutdown the lens water control valve failed. I removed the valve guts and the system works fine.

We continue to observe that the accelerating voltage will shut off for some reason. I am still troubleshooting that problem but the scope is usable.

The junk is still visible in the digital images. Not film images.

February 13, 2008

4000 TEM, beam is aligned. There is some object on the digital camera screen.

Atomic Force Microscope

July 31, 2009 There are 2 important things happening in the next week or so.

1. I will be installing the computer logbook system on the AFM on MOnday, Aug 3. PLEASE stop by and check that your info is in the database!

2. I will be moving the AFM into the room next door late next week or early the week of Aug 10. The AFM will likely be unusable for a few days then. In preparation I have moved some cabinets and their contents to other locations but I don't think this will affect most of you.

July 15, 2009' I will have a computer logbook attached to the AFM before Aug 1. As with the electron microscope systems, I will have to enter your account and ID into the system. I advise that you do this before you need to use the system as we may not be able to respond immediately. Look for an update from me about the installation date.

January 13, 2009 The system is repaired and back in service.

December 19, 2008 The problem is a bad capacitor on the AUX board.

December 8, 2008 The laser cannot be adjusted via the controller. This the system is unusable. We have contacted Veeco for assistance.

October 12, 2008 I've replaced 2 video monitors.

August 12, 2008 The AFM lab will be waxed tomorrow morning and thus be unavailable for use. The custodians have stored their equipment in the lab today but it is out of your way to use the AFM

July 17, 2008 One CRT on the system failed and was replaced. We have placed an order for cantilevers.

April 1, 2008 The AFM computer hard drive is full of data. We will be erasing that data Friday this week. Please remove anything you want. In the future, I will be erasing data periodically, do not leave anything you want on the drive.

Specimen Preparation

June 23, 2010 I've installed a new, larger, vacuum pump on the coater that pumps the chamber faster now.

Temporarily, the pump won't come on when you turn on the main power switch - the pump must be turned on separately. I've put a note on the system explaining how to use it.

I'll get the pump power integrated into the main switch soon.

COntact me or Claire with questions.

June 2, 2010 sputter coater is ready to use

June 1, 2010 The sputter coater is down until tomorrow morning.

May 19, 2010 The sputter coater will be operational very late this afternoon or early tomorrow morning.

April 6, 2010 The issue with the Au and Pt coater has been resolved.

April 6, 2010 The Au and Pt/Pd coater in room 637 is not working. We apologize for the inconvenience.

March 24, 2010 To repeat, the coater is working properly now. Do note that we are using a AU/Pd target now instead of pure Au. Important, the Au/Pd and Pt/Pd targets are the same silvery color. You must check the uninstalled target to make sure you are using the desired target. We store the 2nd target in the drawer below the coater. The target composition is identified on the back of the target. Please make sure the plastic coated label on the coater describes the installed target. Let us know if this is not clear.

March 19, 2010 The coater is repaired now but, we need to talk.... This happened when the current went to max and it fried the power supply - expensive. I suspect it happened when someone was impatient and did not wait until the vacuum was low enough. The vacuum is slower since I installed a special inline filter to keep the chamber clean and improve coating quality. Keep these things in mind. Wait until the vacuum gets to 50. Now open the gas and raise pressure to 90. Now begin coating. Never use more than 10mA of current and the voltage know should be ~7. If not, there is a problem and you need help. You all keep entering 15 minutes in the coating logbook but I cannot get a 20nm coating session done in less than 20-25 minutes. I don't want estimates in the logbook!!! Lastly, the Au target is spent. I don't have money for a new one BUT we do have a new Au/Pd target. It will apply a quality coating that can be used in the 6400 SEM. Remember that you should be using Pt/Pd for the FESEM.

March 18, 2010 Sputter coater: I have ordered a part that should be delivered tomorrow. I'll install it tomorrow and let you know if that solved the problem.

March 18, 2010 The sputter coater is not working. I'll check it at lunch. In the meantime we can use carbon but you'll need our help.

January 6, 2010 I don't want to provide storage for your samples in the labs and quite a few are laying around. Come get them is you want to keep them, otherwise I will throw them out.

January 5, 2010 The coater is up and running. Ready for use.

December 29, 2009 I broke the bell jar on the sputter coater so its down until I can get a new one next week. We have carbon in the mean time.

December 2, 2009 I've noted contaminated coatings recently evidenced by discoloration. To combat this problem, I've added a special inline filter between the vacuum pump and coater chamber. It works great but slows the pumping speed, i.e., it will take longer to reach 75 mtorr. You can speed the pumping process up and further improve coating quality by flushing 2-3 times with Argon as explained in the instructions.

February 18, 2009 The sputter coater is applying poor films due to an unknown problem. I'm working on it. In the meantime it is okay for coating SEM samples but electronic materials people should use Bill Knudsen's equipment.

November 3, 2008 I replaced the Au target for the Hummer sputter coater. $680.

October 8, 2008 A relay failed in the film thickness monitor. I replaced the relay today and the problem appears to be gone. Please let me know if you have any problems.

September 23, 2008 I've repaired, cleaned and calibrated the multi-prep. The reported problem was reported the platen would stop unexpectedly. After testing, I learned that the timer had been activated and was simply turning the machine off after a set time period - just like it is supposed to do.

There's really only one thing that you need to be concerned with as a user. CLEAN! CLEAN! Did I mention that you need to CLEAN the machine?

• Use wet towels: there are special absorbent white towels in the drawer below the machine.
• Don't flood the machine with water it will leak into the electronics. Just wipe with clean wet towels and then a dry towel.
• Use the compressed air to dry afterwards.
• Clean the top of the machine, the tower and other parts. Clean the keypad.
• Remove the platen and clean the cavity below. Clean the platens, especially the backside. Silica behind the platen will ruin the precision.
• Clean the table top and wall behind the machine if you splash.
• I'm going to put a spray bottle of special soap near the machine to help with cleaning.

Don't leave adhesive pads on the platens unless the platen is yours. If you have your own platen you should take it with you.

You may notice that the rotation and oscillation will stop unexpectedly. There is a connector behind the machine that doesn't fit well and if you simply move it slightly the rotation and oscillation will work again. I will look into a permanent fix for this.

August 6, 2008 The Hummer sputter coater is not functioning properly. Please contact lab staff to help you turn on the voltage.

June 23, 2008 We've installed a vacuum desiccator in R637. The system can be used for pumping volatile material from you samples or drying carbon or gold paint. Currently the vacuum gauge does not work but we are working on that. You can use it anyway.

March 31, 2008 2 weeks ago, the ultrasonic cleaner in R637 was left on over night, the water evaporated and the unit was destroyed. I've put a new one in the lab and it has a timer that should help. However, there is a "hold" setting on the timer that will leave the unit on indefinitely. Please do not use the "hold" feature. These things are very expensive, ~$2500 each. I do not have any more cleaners sitting around and the next one I have to replace will be included in the use fees. Your advisors will not like this.

Other Lab Issues

March 29, 2010 There is a input box in the electron microscope and x-ray equipment online calendars for your name titled, "Enter text for a new event:" Please enter your full name, first and last, in this box. Not your initials, nor first name, nor senior design group name.

March 19, 2010 I'm writing to remind you that we will offer a graduate-level SEM course this summer -MY5200. We do permit undergraduate registration with instructor permission. Please remember that successful completion of the course and practical exam are pre-requisites to independent use of the SEM's. Pass this on to anyone in your research groups who may be interested. Contact me or Dr. Drelich (jwdrelic@mtu.edu) for more information.

March 4, 2010 Calendars are back online.

March 4, 2010 The calendar server is down. I'll get more info and get back to you. In the meantime it has to be 1st come 1st serve

March 1, 2010 Dr. Levy has located a wire saw in the sample prep lab for his group. It is not a multi-user tool, i.e, you need his permission to use the saw. His student found that the wire was broken yesterday and I have not received any notification that it was broken. The saw has been repaired, although wire blades are expensive. It is our policy that I receive notice of equipment that is damaged during use. Unintentional damage to this kind of equipment can occur and there is no penalty for unintentional damage if notice is given. BUT, failing to notify me of damage can lead to expulsion from the labs.

January 20, 2010 I've lifted the USB drive restrictions provided that you following this procedure. This is important - if you contaminate the microscope PC's the microscopes may be unavailable for you and others to use.

January 18, 2010 Occasionally, users fail to swipe their ID after using the microscopes. In that event, the clock runs until the next users swipes into the system. This can result in a very large monthly charge. My system creates the MTU invoices automatically and I have no way of knowing whether the charges are the result of this problem. There is no effective way to program the logbook system to automatically end a session. All users are instructed to use the system properly. At that time I specifically ask that you place your ID card near the sample exchange area of the scope to make sure you don't forget to swipe out. I'm instituting a new policy to discourage the practice, The first time a user fails to swipe out of the system I will charge you for the time you reserved in the online calendar. After that, you will be charged 2X the calendar time.

January 11, 2010 Do not use USB thumb drives in the ACMAL labs. I have put tape over the USB ports to remind you. In meantime, you can move your images with Zimbra. I'll let you know when we get this worked out.

January 9, 2010 Be warned that the microscope computers are infected. We are working to get them clean and I'll let you know which ones are ready.

January 6, 2010 Most of the PC's in the electron optics labs are infected and most viruses are spread on USB or Jump drives. Here are links to 2 free programs to clean your drives. Note that McAfee is not catching these viruses. http://www.malwarebytes.org/ http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ Please clean your drives!! Remember, I do not backup your data!.

December 14, 2009 Most of you know this. All experimental data is stored locally on the PC, not the network. It is not backed up. Take all experimental data you collect in the electron microscopy with you after each session. That includes images, and all x-ray data. I do not take responsibility for your data.

December 9, 2009 We will not retroactively increase use charges. Only in circumstances where a rate drops, the FIB in this case, would this happen.

December 8, 2009 The electron microscope use charges have changed effective Dec 1. The new rates are: Hitachi S-4700 FESEM is now $39/hr for internal use and $130/hr for external use. JEOL JSM-6400 SEM is now $33.50/hr internal and $100 external. The Hitachi FB200A FIB rate has dropped to $22/hr internal. External FIB use will still be charged at $130/hr. That change will be effective retroactively to October 1. These rate increases only offset the actual expenses of operating the microscopes. Rates are reviewed annually. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments

November 6, 2009 please remember to use 24 HR clock time when you signup on the web calendars.

October 27, 2009 Everyone will need to cancel appointments. The trick is to give adequate notice so someone else may take that time slot. I want no less than 4 hours notice if you need to cancel an appointment. One excuse for late cancellations that I regularly hear is "my samples weren't ready". This is easy enough to solve - don't sign for scope time UNTIL your samples are ready! It can difficult to predict how much time will be required to image your samples until you have gained some experience. Even so, it is not okay to sign up for a 4 hours session and only use 1 or 2 hours of that time. If this is happening you need to schedule 2 shorter sessions on consecutive days. These are important issues for several reasons. First, a few of the scopes are used most of each day and wasting time slows everyone down. Next, the hourly cost to use the microscopes is based on the total number of hours the instrument is used each year. The more the scope is used the lower the hourly cost. I suspect this is important to your advisors.

August 27, 2009 This may be useful to some of you. http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/332/332336.html

August 12, 2009 I'm frequently asked about image analysis software. We exclusively use NIH Image or now ImageJ. NIH Image is written for Macs. A PC version, Scion Image is available that runs on PC's. ImageJ can be run on any operating system platform. This software package is a) used by many scientists, b)well documented and c) free. Actually, its not free, we pay for it through taxes :D Here are some links to tutorials and FAQ's about using the software. Note that there are many plug-ins available that perform sophisticated tasks.

NIH Image and ImageJ website. http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/

Scion IMage http://www.scioncorp.com/pages/scion_image_windows.htm

ImageJ wiki. http://imagejdocu.tudor.lu/doku.php

Image and ImageJ manuals. http://depts.washington.edu/if/use_ij.shtml digital.bsd.uchicago.edu/pdfs/ImageJ%20basics%20tutorial.pdf Others are available - use ImageJ tutorials in a Google search.

We'll add this to the ACMAL webpages.

March 19, 2009 Calendar is back online.

March 19, 2009 The ACMAL policy for equipment damage reads, << There is no penalty for reporting accidental damage to equipment. Deliberate misuse of equipment will not be tolerated. Deliberate or negligent misuse of the equipment may result in the assessment of repair charges to faculty. Unauthorized use of the equipment or failure to correctly use the logbook will result in disciplinary action.>>. The EOF policy page can he found here http://mcff.mtu.edu/acmal/eofpolicy.htm Regarding damage caused by new users. We make every effort to adequately prepare and train students to safely use the equipment but ignorance of proper procedure is not an excuse because I am available to answer questions.

Regarding supplies. We provide common consumables, supplies and parts like SEM mounts, adhesives, gloves, solvents, air dusters and common TEM grids. We currently provide AFM cantilevers, but that may change. The expense for these items is built into the use fee. We do not supply unusual or special supplies and parts.

This policy includes supplies and parts for attachments that belong to individual faculty. This issue is of particular relevance as we put a few very special TEM sample holders into service. These holders belong to Dr. Yasser (ME.EM) and are critical to his research efforts. They are complicated to use and supplies/parts are very expensive. Those who wish to use these items must first be qualified to use the TEM, must obtain his permission, will be trained to use them and will assume responsibility for all parts/supplies and any damage that might occur.

Please let know if you have any questions or comments about this policy.

March 19, 2009 As of 3 PM today the calendar system is not loading. I expect it to be back online soon. Thanks for your patience.

March 18, 2009 Pre-registration is open for MY5200, Advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy. The description follows.

Basic design and operating principles of scanning electron microscope (SEM) with discussions on interactions of electrons with solids and resulting signal production, for analysis of heterogeneous materials using X-ray microanalysis, and applications to surface science. Includes practical training on advanced operation of SEM instrument with an emphasis on the production of high resolution images and quantitative X-ray analysis of specimen composition based on real and virtual standards.

Successful completion of the course will qualify you to use the JEOL 6400 SEM. Seminar-style training for use of the Hitachi S-4700 FESEM and FB-2000A FIB will follow for interested course graduates. Please be aware that only trained users are permitted to operate the equipment. Certification is achieved through successful completion of the electron microscopy courses.

More information about the course is available here. http://www.mse.mtu.edu/~jwdrelic/my_5200.htm Visit the ACMAL website for more information about the facility. http://mcff.mtu.edu/acmal/

Please contact me with any questions.

March 17, 2009 Message from Andy Niemi about Summer 2009 Cliff Drive Traffic:

There will be a road reconstruction project on US-41 through the campus starting May 4, 2009. With this reconstruction project, MDOT has set up Cliff Drive as a detour route. All north bound US-41 traffic will be detoured onto Cliff Drive for the duration of the project. Cliff Drive will remain as a two way street for the project but will see a large increase in north bound traffic, this is from east to west on Cliff Drive.

Why am I telling you this? With the increase in traffic, there will be an increase in traffic noise and an increase in vibrations felt in the buildings. For those of you that deal with the lasers, electron microscopes and any other vibration sensitive equipment used in some of the labs this may present some problems. The detour route is not up for debate, it has been set up and will be used. The speed limit will remain at 25 mph. I am going to set up some traffic control devices to keep the speeds down around the cross walk areas, these will not be speed bumps.

Start date for detour: May 4, 2009. End date for detour: August 21, 2009.

March 3, 2009 This is a reminder you that if you do not swipe out of the logbook system at the end of your session, the clock keeps running and you (your advisor) accrue charges for that time.

March 2, 2009 The new use fees are approved and we'll begin charging them March 1st. The only changes are for the TEM, AFM & XRD. New TEM rate is $30/hr (down from $75/hr), AFM is now $12/hr (up from $7.50) and XRD is now $5.25/hr (up from $5/hr).