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ACMAL ELECTRON OPTICS FACILITY EQUIPMENT STATUS
All comments are by Owen Mills.
See also Scientific and Technical FAQs, Current Funding Opportunities, and Research Funding Sources.
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Lab Staff Schedule
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
June 18, 2006 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
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
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 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
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 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.
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
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.
Sample Preparation
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 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).
