A Liquid Helium Cryostat for a Superconducting Objective and Cold Stage

In the design of the 150 kV High-Coherence Column, it was considered essential that the specimen be in ultra-high vacuum at liquid helium temperature for minimum radiation damage. It followed that the simplest solution was to make the entire region about the specimen at liquid helium temperature and to make the objective lens with a superconducting winding.For mechanical rigidity, two things were considered essential. First, a strong support structure for the liquid helium vessel and the objective lens. Second, the use of no liquid nitrogen but rather the use of helium vapor cooling for the radiation shields, leads and supports. The drawing, fig. 1, shows the helium vessel, 9-1/2-inches diameter by 5-inches tall, surrounded by two concentric radiation shields. The entire assembly is rigidly supported on four posts one of which is shown. These posts consist of cylinders of epoxyglass (G-10) spacing the components between their different temperatures.

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Stage cooling rates and specimen-transfer facilities of the Duke University cryomicroscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100075324 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 306-307

Author(s):

M.K. Lamvik ◽

R.E. Worsham ◽

D.A. Kopf ◽

J.D. Robertson

Keyword(s):

Liquid Helium ◽

National Laboratory ◽

High Vacuum ◽

Ultra High Vacuum ◽

Objective Lens ◽

Oak Ridge ◽

Fold Reduction ◽

Resolution Electron ◽

Biological Studies ◽

Duke University

A liquid helium cold stage offers unique advantages for biological electron microscopy, including a five-fold reduction in radiation damage, higher ultimate specimen resolution and greater stability for frozen hydrated specimens. Ultra-high vacuum and reduced surface diffusion also reduce specimen contamination to negligible levels. To make efficient use of these advantages in biological studies, however, the microscope must be able to handle a variety of specimens while quickly achieving low temperature.The cryomicroscope that is currently in operation at Duke University (Fig. 1) was originally designed and built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a high-resolution electron microscope with a superconducting objective lens. The well-shielded cryostat for the objective lens assures a low specimen temperature. There are two thermal shields surrounding the liquid helium vessel, each cooled by the venting cold helium gas. The inner shield is at its nominal value, 20°K, at the end of the helium transfer when gas is actively venting from the system; later during routine operation, the inner shield temperature is about 30°K.

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A Superconducting Microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100064104 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 10-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. E. Worsham ◽

J. E. Mann ◽

E. G. Richardson

Keyword(s):

Liquid Helium ◽

Focal Length ◽

Vacuum System ◽

Objective Lens ◽

Electrical Instability ◽

Radiation Shields ◽

And Control ◽

Thermal Oscillations ◽

Flux Pump

This superconducting microscope, Figure 1, was first operated in May, 1970. The column, which started life as a Siemens Elmiskop I, was modified by removing the objective and intermediate lenses, the specimen chamber, and the complete vacuum system. The large cryostat contains the objective lens and stage. They are attached to the bottom of the 7-liter helium vessel and are surrounded by two vapor-cooled radiation shields.In the initial operational period 5-mm and 2-mm focal length objective lens pole pieces were used giving magnification up to 45000X. Without a stigmator and precision ground pole pieces, a resolution of about 50-100Å was achieved. The boil-off rate of the liquid helium was reduced to 0.2-0.3ℓ/hour after elimination of thermal oscillations in the cryostat. The calculated boil-off was 0.2ℓ/hour. No effect caused by mechanical or electrical instability was found. Both 4.2°K and 1.7-1.9°K operation were routine. Flux pump excitation and control of the lens were quite smooth, simple, and, apparently highly stable. Alignment of the objective lens proved quite awkward, however, with the long-thin epoxy glass posts used for supporting the lens.

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A Field Emission System For Transmission Electron Microscopy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100071934 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 298-299

Author(s):

Michel Troyonal ◽

Huei Pei Kuoal ◽

Benjamin M. Siegelal

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Field Emission ◽

Optical System ◽

High Vacuum ◽

Ultra High Vacuum ◽

Objective Lens ◽

Electron Optical System ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Emission System

A field emission system for our experimental ultra high vacuum electron microscope has been designed, constructed and tested. The electron optical system is based on the prototype whose performance has already been reported. A cross-sectional schematic illustrating the field emission source, preaccelerator lens and accelerator is given in Fig. 1. This field emission system is designed to be used with an electron microscope operated at 100-150kV in the conventional transmission mode. The electron optical system used to control the imaging of the field emission beam on the specimen consists of a weak condenser lens and the pre-field of a strong objective lens. The pre-accelerator lens is an einzel lens and is operated together with the accelerator in the constant angular magnification mode (CAM).

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Water accumulation as a function of temperature on specimens in an electron microscope cold stage

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100142219 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 114-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M.K. Lamvik ◽

D.A. Kopf ◽

S.D. Davilla ◽

J.D. Robertson

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Mass Loss ◽

Liquid Helium ◽

Liquid Nitrogen ◽

Liquid Nitrogen Temperature ◽

Liquid Helium Temperature ◽

Helium Temperature ◽

Cold Stage ◽

Water Accumulation ◽

Better Than

Last year we reported1 that there is a striking reduction in the rate of mass loss when a specimen is observed at liquid helium temperature. It is important to determine whether liquid helium temperature is significantly better than liquid nitrogen temperature. This requires a good understanding of mass loss effects in cold stages around 100K.

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