Acquisition of an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope for Research and Research Training

主要仪器项目的这一奖项支持南密西西比大学购买具有能量分散X射线能力的环境扫描电子显微镜。该仪器提供了一种高倍率、高分辨率的聚合物材料分析方法，样品制备最少。低真空技术有利于聚合物分析，因为非导电聚合物表面可以成像。成像不需要在样品上涂覆导电材料，因此节省了时间和资源。此外，高含水率的样品也可以用低真空技术成像。低真空电子显微镜设计的最新发展提供了许多优点。样品室现在可以容纳直径最大为8英寸的样品。计算机控制器上的简单命令允许选择真空室压力低或高。新型电子显微镜配备了许多自动化功能，提高了显微镜组件的性能和寿命。自动化功能现在包括对焦、污点、枪饱和、枪对准、对比度和亮度。这些调整以前是由操作员手动进行的，当多个操作员使用相同的电子显微镜时，这些调整会对灯丝寿命产生不利影响。传统的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)要求样品无污染、干燥、在高真空环境中稳定，并具有导电性，才能进行成功的分析。获取可用样品所需的劳动密集型样品制备技术通常会导致产生人工制品，从而阻碍了预期的准确分析。我们所处的聚合物时代的到来使扫描电子显微镜分析变得更加复杂。几乎所有的聚合物都是不导电的，许多在高真空下不稳定，有些对电子束敏感。这些问题导致了新一代扫描电子显微镜的发明。这些环境/低真空扫描电子显微镜(ESEM/LVSEM)克服了在聚合物的传统扫描电子显微镜分析中遇到的许多问题。电子扫描显微镜/低真空扫描电子显微镜利用隔板来分离扫描电子显微镜的高真空区和低真空区。收购南密西西比大学的环境扫描电子显微镜/左扫描电子显微镜将有助于表征为广泛应用而开发的聚合物。1999年购买的能量色散X射线装置的加入将通过允许对聚合物和其他材料进行元素分析来增强能力。这将通过在我们的研究中心提供一种能够被多个运营商使用的技术先进的工具来加速研究的推进。

This award from the Major Instrumentation program supports the University of Southern Mississippi with the acquisition of an environmental scanning electron microscopes with energy dispersive X-ray capability. The instrument provides a means of high magnification, high resolution analysis of polymeric materials with minimum sample preparation. Low vacuum technology favors polymer analysis because non-conductive polymeric surfaces can be imaged. Imaging does not require that the specimen be coated with a conductive material, thus, saving time and resources. Furthermore, samples with high water content can also be imaged with low vacuum technology. Recent developments in low vacuum electron microscope design provide a number of advantages. Sample chambers can now accommodate samples up to eight inches in diameter. A simple command on the computer controller allows selection of either low or high vacuum chamber pressures. New electron microscopes are equipped with a number of automated features that improve performance and lifetime of the microscope components. Automated features now include focus, stigmation, gun saturation, gun alignment, contrast, and brightness. These adjustments were previously made manually by the operator and had detrimental impact on filament lifetime when multiple operators utilized the same electron microscope. Traditional scanning electron microscopes (SEM) require that samples are free from contaminates, dry, stable in a high vacuum environment, and electrically conductive to provide for successful analysis. The labor-intensive sample preparation techniques required to obtain useable samples often resulted in the creation of artifacts, thus obstructing the accurate analysis intended. The advent of the Polymer age in which we live further complicated SEM analysis. Almost all polymers are non-conductive, many are not stable under high vacuum, and some are sensitive to the electron beam. These problems led to the invention of a new generation of SEM. These environmental/low vacuum scanning electron microscopes (ESEM/LVSEM) have overcome a number of the problems encountered in traditional SEM analysis of polymers. ESEM/LVSEM utilize partitions to separate high vacuum areas and low vacuum areas of the SEM. The acquisition of an ESEM/LVSEM at the University of Southern Mississippi will aid in characterization of polymers developed for a wide range of applications. The incorporation of energy dispersive X-ray unit purchased in 1999 will enhance the capabilities by allowing for elemental analysis of polymers and other materials. This will accelerate the advancement of research by providing a technologically advanced tool capable of utilization by multiple operators in our research center.