Facility for Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy

The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Facility harbors an ultra-high resolution field emission in-lens scanning electron microscope and the complementary equipment required for sample preparation. The facility offers advice and support for common procedures of preparing specimen and their analysis by SEM.

The facility, with a background in the investigation of subcellular biological structures, provides support for the planning and conducting of SEM-based investigations. Following initial assessment of specimen suitability and the potential diagnostic conclusiveness of results potentially achievable by SEM, specimens for certain small-scale trial investigations can be prepared and evaluated by facility members upon request. More commonly, the facility offers a training for sample preparation for conventional SEM in general, or a more elaborate training for immuno-SEM of biological specimens. For large-scale, multi-sample studies, the facility additionally provides instructions for microscope usage and further training for specimen evaluation.

Major equipment

Hitachi S5500. Scanning electron microscope, equipped with a cold field emission cathode and a special electron optical "in-lens" system. In addition to the secondary electron detector, the microscope is equipped with two backscattered electron detectors and one STEM detector. The S5500 is optimized for ultra-high resolution in the low nanometer range within small-area samples (< 20 mm²) at low accelerating voltages.
Bal-Tec CPD 030. Critical point dryer, for gentle drying of biological specimens.
Leica EM MED020. Highly versatile, high vacuum coating system that is equipped with a quartz-balance film thickness monitor and is currently used primarily for high resolution sputter-coating of specimens with thin layers of Pt or Cr metals.