Optimising Performance of Your Electron Microscope

The performance of an electron microscope is affected not only by interference within the room in which it is positioned, but also by the location of the building itself. There are several possible sources of interference, but the most commonly encountered problems will arise as a result of vibrations through the floor or the air – acoustic vibrations – or from magnetic fields. 

Vibrations can come from any apparatus that has the ability to move or rattle – whether intentionally or not – including other machinery, doors opening and closing, air flow from an open window, the engine of a vehicle or laboratory personnel simply moving around. Similarly, magnetic fields can arise from multiple sources, both within the building and externally. The major source of this kind of interference is from power lines in the walls, with magnetic fields across the world normally occurring at two main frequencies – 50 and 60 hertz. Internal interferences also include magnetic fields generated by other equipment, lights (particularly fluorescent tubes) or nearby lifts. It is important to remember that external factors may also be involved, such as vehicles including trains and the electric trams that are growing in popularity in many urban areas. Magnetic fields generated from these can extend for hundreds of metres, unknowingly affecting electron microscope image quality, unless a site survey is conducted to uncover any problems and take suitable preventative measures. 

Variations in temperature can also interfere with the instrument’s imaging capabilities by causing specimen drift in the microscope electronics and changes in the mechanical tolerances of components.

For more information on how Spicer can help you optimise your EM, contact us to find out here.

Since it was established in 1988, Spicer Consulting has built a world-wide reputation in magnetic field cancelling for Electron Microscopes and similar instruments. Today, working with equipment manufacturers and users alike, the company is recognised as an industry expert in maximising the performance of electron microscopes, electron beam lithography systems, CD metrology and focused ion beam tools. 

Spicer Consulting magnetic field cancelling systems protect sensitive equipment in the world's leading laboratories, universities and semiconductor manufacturing plants, as well as in the test facilities of electron and ion beam equipment manufacturers. Its magnetic field, vibration and acoustic analysis systems have been adopted as standard equipment for the conduct of site surveys by leading equipment manufacturers. Spicer Consulting is located in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, within the United Kingdom’s Golden Triangle of elite universities in London, Cambridge and Oxford.