CRYO-SEM & CRYO-FIB/SEM PREPARATION EDITION III


zzzPP3010 Cryo-SEM/Cryo-FIB/SEM Preparation System (continued) Cryo Transfer Device – Including Vacuum Storage


The vacuum transfer device is compact (fits easily into one hand), reliably vacuum-tight and has a bayonet connection to the specimen shuttle to ensure rapid pick up and transfer.


Set into the Prepdek® Prepdek®


work surface is a pumped storage tube for the cryo transfer device (see workstation section below). Specimen Stubs, Shuttles


The PP3010 is supplied with universal 10 mm specimen stubs with surface slots, holes and a flat area – useful for most specimen types. Blank and slotted stubs are also included. In addition a range of optional holders is available, including shuttles for large specimens and top-loading holders for high pressure freezing, TEM Autogrids™ (for cryo-FIB/SEM applications) and clamping shuttles for hard specimens.


Cryo Preparation Chamber


The cryo preparation chamber is connected directly to the microscope and includes a highly efficient nitrogen gas cold stage, extensive cold trapping and facilities to fracture, sublimate and sputter coat specimens. The chamber is fitted with two fully integrated and interlocked gate valves. The outer load-lock valve includes a pumped airlock which accepts the cryo transfer device – the inner SEM valve ensures rapid high-vacuum to high-vacuum specimen exchange.


Highly Efficient Gas Cooled Stage and Cold Traps


At the heart of the cryo preparation chamber is a nitrogen gas cooled specimen stage. The stage has a dovetail fitting to accept a cryo shuttle and can be precisely controlled over a temperature range from 100°C to -190°C or lower. Large gas cooled cold traps located above, below and behind the specimen stage ensure clean, high vacuum conditions in the chamber.


Both the cold stage and cold traps are cooled with the fully integrated CHE3010 off-column cooling system (see below), which at normal operating temperatures give typical hold times of at up to 24 hours between fills (provided the nitrogen gas is dry).


High Visibility – Plus CCD Camera


There is superb visibility into the preparation chamber. In addition to the large front window (75 x 150 mm), there are two top viewing ports. The chamber is lit by three LEDS and a CCD camera allows the specimen cold stage area to be viewed on the control screen and the images saved.


An optional stereo microscope can be fitted to the cryo preparation chamber. Cold Fracturing


Twin fracturing tools manipulators (actively cooled) are available and allow a range of specimen types to be cold fractured.


The PP3010 is fitted as standard with a front mounted fracturing and manipulation device. The ball-jointed mount offers flexible movement of the blade which can be used both as a surface pick (probe) and a fracturing knife.


An optional micrometer-advanced fracturing tool with rigid blade is available, in addition to the standard front-mounted tool.


Fractured fragments are captured in the large cold trap located below the specimen stage.


Automatic Sublimation and Sputtering


Sublimation temperatures and times can be preset and stored for easy retrieval. The process is fully automatic and graphically displayed on the control screen, showing the actual verses the predicted temperature curves.


The high resolution sputter coater is based on the market leading series of bench top coaters. The coating system will give fine grain films essential for FE-SEM applications. A platinium target is fitted as standard – optional metals include gold, gold/palladium, chromium and iridium. An optional fully integrated carbon fiber evaporation head can also be fitted.


An optional terminating film thickness monitor is available. Turbomolecular Pumping – High Vacuum Performance


The preparation chamber is pumped by a remotely-positioned 70 L/s turbomolecular pumping system. Typical preparation chamber vacuums when cold are in the region of 10-7


mbar or better.


Positioning the turbomolecular pump away from the SEM ensures total elimination of mechanical vibration and has the advantage of significantly reducing the total cryo system mass connected to the SEM. A vacuum buffer tank (remotely located in the Prepdek®


) is automatically pumped when Remotely mounted turbomolecular pumping system


Front-mounted fracturing and specimen manipulation tool


View during specimen transfer


Specimen transfer device


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