Scanning Electron Microscopy
Our Scanning Electron Microscope is equipped with softwares called SemAfore that can take pictures/micrographs of your samples (Scanning Electron Microscopy or SEM). The JEOL 5300 scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterizes the surface morphology and topography of the sample. It can produce a micrograph with magnification up to x50,000. The instrument operates at high vacuum and has a large specimen chamber and ample stage motion to examine specimens.
Sample requirements:
Dry
Conducting (for nonconducting samples gold coating is required)
Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy
The JEOL 5300 scanning electron microscope (SEM) is equipped with secondary and backscatter electron detectors, and an X-ray detector for energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements. The EDS is used for elemental composition analysis. Our equipment is equipped with Oxford link ISIS thin window system. It cannot detect elements with atomic number lower than that of Carbon.
Additional Requirement:
Liquid Nitrogen
Gold Sputtering
JEOL JFC-1200 Fine Coater is gold coating equipment for non-conducting materials. This is done to avoid charging of samples during SEM which can ruin the image captured.
To our clients
- We count a “sample” as something having a homogenous/uniform appearance. (Ex., a single eyeball would be counted as three samples: pupil, iris, and the white part). Please do tell us about the number of samples that you will send over so we can estimate the amount of time that we are going to need for the testing of your sample.
- We do not “prepare” samples. We simply take them out of the container from which you placed them and tape them onto our sample holder with a double sided carbon tape. Kindly prepare your samples beforehand so that they would fit in a circular sample holder with a diameter of 1 centimeter. If your sample is in the powder form, you may send an amount that can at least cover an area of around 1 square centimeter.
- Certificate of Testing is given upon request
- Test results are sent via email upon presentation of receipt
- The Certificate of Testing and the scanned copy of the Official Receipt will also be sent via email
- No hard copy of any document will be given unless you or your proxy will come over and pick it up at the STRC Surface Physics Laboratory.
- Should you decide to push through with the test, please let us know of any deadline that you are trying to beat and please do tell us about the exact details that you want to get from the tests (are you looking for the presence of a certain structure, a certain chemical element of your samples, are you looking for micro or nanostructures?
- Sample testing and equipment use are booked. The scheduled date and time of test are strictly followed.
- The Lab does not provide data archiving services. Users should back up data on their own.
NOTE: EDX CAN'T BE PERFORMED IF THERE IS NO AVAILABLE LIQUID NITROGEN. PLEASE CALL THE TELEPHONE NUMBER BELOW FOR BOOKING AND OTHER INQUIRIES.
