Using SEM Instructions

ESEM (environmental)

Brand

FEI

Model

Quanta 200F

Feeding the sample to the chamber

1- Putting the sample with the paste face to the inside of the chamber, observe the camera as the door closes and observe the height of the sample.

2- Be sure that the breaker F6 is on for the pump.

3- A symbol for the chamber on the right bottom of the software layout shows a green color when the chamber is has a pressure of the 0.53 torr.

4- The beam spot is 4.5 and 20 kV works for the paste samples. the sot size changes depending on the sample and the resolution.

5- The height should be within 10 mm from the back scattered electron detector, raising up or lower takes place after decreasing the pressure.

6- Based on the sample element content, the brighter color for the heavier elements and dark one for the lighter ones.

Steps for taking the image

1-There are two images from the back scattered detector (BSED) images the sample and LFD(SE, secondary electrons) for the topography of the sample.

2- On the software layout, there are for screens, two of them for the detectors and a third for mixing the images together.

3- Starting by the zero brightness then increase it until the gray color appear on the screen, then from zero contrast it would be increased until you get the wanted picture resolution.

4- Step 3 is applied for both detectors' screens.

5- Scanning (refresh rate for the image) is recommended to be slow if the charging is avoided but normal speed is 3 um. (Too fast will blurry and too slow will cause the sample to have charging).

Control Buttons

Ctrl+0 for centering the stage.

Middle button for the mouse to raise up the sample to the 10 mm level.

Imaging

shift+ pause pausing all the screens together

plus or minus on the pad will zoom the whole screen but drawing a box by the mouse left button will zoom locally on that spot.

double click with the left button will center the image.

In case of saving an image by the 3rd screen :

slow down the image speed then shift+pause then file save as

Steps to end the process

1- delete all the measurements.

2- pause all the screens.

3- Beam off.

4- Vent.