Equipment for scanning electron microscope

我们是一个由12名自然和生物医学科学家组成的跨学科小组，他们对显微镜有共同的兴趣，并使用达尔豪斯大学的科学成像套件。我们研究一系列的系统，有生命的和非生命的，有一系列的物理维度，我们对扫描电子显微镜（SEM）有一个长期的共同需求。访问达尔豪斯的研究级SEM仅限于位于我们大多数人2公里外的一台大量预订的仪器。过去为该套件获得新仪器的尝试没有得到资助，而不是等待未来的前景，我们试图通过购买最近从国防部的一个实验室退役的二手仪器来满足我们的直接需求。这台已有10年历史的仪器在退役前一直得到定期维护，工作良好，但需要新的计算机硬件和更新的软件来操作。我们要求资金让制造商安装这台仪器，以及相关的硬件和软件，使其全面投入使用。我们还需要另外两件样品制备设备，一件临界点干燥机和一件溅射涂层机，这两件设备都是SEM的常规设备，我们没有工作秩序。有了这些项目和我们的扫描电镜的安装，我们将有一个全面运行的设施，仍然有很长的预期工作寿命，在一个非常经济的价格。我们没有其他方法来激活这个仪器。我们的用户将使用它来成像标本，包括广泛的样本，并培训HQP在这个有用的和技术上简单的显微镜模式，我们目前缺乏一个研究级仪器。

We are an interdisciplinary group of 12 natural and biomedical scientists who share an interest in microscopy and who use the Scientific Imaging Suite at Dalhousie University. We work on a range of systems, living and non-living, with a range of physical dimensions, and we have in common a longstanding need for a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Access to a research grade SEM at Dalhousie is limited to one heavily-booked instrument situated for most of us 2km away. Past attempts to secure a new instrument for the Suite have not been funded, and rather than await future prospects, we have sought to fill our immediate needs by purchasing a used instrument recently decommissioned from a lab of the Department of National Defence. This 10-year old instrument had been regularly maintained and worked perfectly until its decommissioning, but needs new computer hardware and updated software to operate. We request funds to have the manufacturer install this instrument, and the associated hardware and software, to bring it into full operation. We also request two additional items of equipment for specimen preparation, a critical point dryer and a sputter coater, both of which are routine items for SEM which we lack in working order. With these items and the installation of our SEM we will have available a fully operational facility which still has a long expected working life at a remarkably economical price. We have no other means to activate this instrument. Our users will use it for imaging specimens that include a wide range of samples, and for training HQP in this useful and technically straightforward mode of microscopy for which we currently lack a research grade instrument.