New Techniques for Differential Pumping Systems

It is perhaps one of the most important characteristics of the past decade in astronomy that the evolution of some major classes of astronomical objects has become accessible to detailed research. The theory of the evolution of individual stars has developed into a substantial body of quantitative investigations. The evolution of galaxies, particularly of our own, has clearly become a subject for serious research. Even the history of the solar system, this close-by intriguing puzzle, may soon make the transition from being a subject of speculation to being a subject of detailed study in view of the fast flow of new data obtained with new techniques, including space-craft.

Download Full-text

Studies on Water in the Hydration Chamber of a Modified Electron Microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100069715 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 544-545

Author(s):

R. C. Moretz ◽

G. G. Hausner ◽

D. F. Parsons

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Steady State ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Small Mass ◽

Equilibrium Pressure ◽

Biological Objects ◽

Mechanical Pump ◽

Differential Pumping

Use of the electron microscope to examine wet objects is possible due to the small mass thickness of the equilibrium pressure of water vapor at room temperature. Previous attempts to examine hydrated biological objects and water itself used a chamber consisting of two small apertures sealed by two thin films. Extensive work in our laboratory showed that such films have an 80% failure rate when wet. Using the principle of differential pumping of the microscope column, we can use open apertures in place of thin film windows.Fig. 1 shows the modified Siemens la specimen chamber with the connections to the water supply and the auxiliary pumping station. A mechanical pump is connected to the vapor supply via a 100μ aperture to maintain steady-state conditions.

Download Full-text

Residual Gas Reaction in the Electron Microscope: II The Design of a Gas-Control Chamber for Quantitative Observations

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100062324 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 82-83

Author(s):

Chester J. Calbick ◽

Richard E. Hartman

Keyword(s):

Electron Beam ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Local Environment ◽

Chamber Pressure ◽

Objective Lens ◽

Ion Pump ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

Precise Knowledge ◽

Differential Pumping ◽

And Control

Quantitative studies of the phenomenon associated with reactions induced by the electron beam between specimens and gases present in the electron microscope require precise knowledge and control of the local environment experienced by the portion of the specimen in the electron beam. Because of outgassing phenomena, the environment at the irradiated portion of the specimen is very different from that in any place where gas pressures and compositions can be measured. We have found that differential pumping of the specimen chamber by a 4" Orb-Ion pump, following roughing by a zeolite sorption pump, can produce a specimen-chamber pressure 100- to 1000-fold less than that in the region below the objective lens.

Download Full-text

Microstructural characterization of CoPtCr/Cr thin film disks by cross-section TEM and elongated probe micro-diffraction

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100088129 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 762-763

Author(s):

M.A. Parker ◽

K.E. Johnson ◽

C. Hwang ◽

A. Bermea

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Recording ◽

Electron Probe ◽

Microstructural Characterization ◽

Crystallographic Structure ◽

Recording Media ◽

Layer By Layer ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

New Techniques ◽

Polished Side

We have reported the dependence of the magnetic and recording properties of CoPtCr recording media on the thickness of the Cr underlayer. It was inferred from XRD data that grain-to-grain epitaxy of the Cr with the CoPtCr was responsible for the interaction observed between these layers. However, no cross-sectional TEM (XTEM) work was performed to confirm this inference. In this paper, we report the application of new techniques for preparing XTEM specimens from actual magnetic recording disks, and for layer-by-layer micro-diffraction with an electron probe elongated parallel to the surface of the deposited structure which elucidate the effect of the crystallographic structure of the Cr on that of the CoPtCr.XTEM specimens were prepared from magnetic recording disks by modifying a technique used to prepare semiconductor specimens. After 3mm disks were prepared per the standard XTEM procedure, these disks were then lapped using a tripod polishing device. A grid with a single 1mmx2mm hole was then glued with M-bond 610 to the polished side of the disk.

Download Full-text

Computer averaging of lattice images of poly-4-methyl-pentene-1 (P4mp1): Noise created artifacts

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100126731 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 388-389

Author(s):

P. Pradère ◽

J.F. Revol ◽

R. St. John Manley

Keyword(s):

Low Dose ◽

Polymer Concentration ◽

Processing System ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Dilute Solution ◽

New Techniques ◽

Dose Unit ◽

Lattice Images ◽

Dose Imaging ◽

Imaging Conditions

Although radiation damage is the limiting factor in HREM of polymers, new techniques based on low dose imaging at low magnification have permitted lattice images to be obtained from very radiation sensitive polymers such as polyethylene (PE). This paper describes the computer averaging of P4MP1 lattice images. P4MP1 is even more sensitive than PE (total end point dose of 27 C m-2 as compared to 100 C m-2 for PE at 120 kV). It does, however, have the advantage of forming flat crystals from dilute solution and no change in d-spacings is observed during irradiation.Crystals of P4MP1 were grown at 60°C in xylene (polymer concentration 0.05%). Electron microscopy was performed with a Philips EM 400 T microscope equipped with a Low Dose Unit and operated at 120 kV. Imaging conditions were the same as already described elsewhere. Enlarged micrographs were digitized and processed with the Spider image processing system.

Download Full-text

Serial thin sectioning for pre- and post-embedding immunohistochemistry: Achieving consistent and reliable results for a 3-D reconstruction

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010014748x ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 328-329

Author(s):

Antonia M. Milroy

Keyword(s):

Nervous System ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Serial Sectioning ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

High Quality ◽

New Techniques ◽

3 Dimensional ◽

Multiple User ◽

Thin Sectioning ◽

Subcellular Level

In recent years many new techniques and instruments for 3-Dimensional visualization of electron microscopic images have become available. Higher accelerating voltage through thicker sections, photographed at a tilt for stereo viewing, or the use of confocal microscopy, help to analyze biological material without the necessity of serial sectioning. However, when determining the presence of neurotransmitter receptors or biochemical substances present within the nervous system, the need for good serial sectioning (Fig. 1+2) remains. The advent of computer assisted reconstruction and the possibility of feeding information from the specimen viewing chamber directly into a computer via a camera mounted on the electron microscope column, facilitates serial analysis. Detailed information observed at the subcellular level is more precise and extensive and the complexities of interactions within the nervous system can be further elucidated.We emphasize that serial ultra thin sectioning can be performed routinely and consistently in multiple user electron microscopy laboratories. Initial tissue fixation and embedding must be of high quality.

Download Full-text