SEM Quick Start
Revision No.2
May 2014
Page 16 of 16
1.5.3
Vacuum Control and Gas Pressure
Note: If the instrument will be used again after a short period of time, or if
the operator does not wish to vent the vacuum chamber, this step can be
skipped.
Venting the vacuum chamber can be accomplished by clicking the
Vac
status textbox at the bottom right portion of the
Zeiss SmartSEM
window and selecting the
Vent
option. The roughing pump will promptly
switch off and the vacuum chamber will begin to vent. After a short time
the chamber door can be opened if the operator wishes to retrieve any
samples. It is very important to minimize the amount of time that the
chamber door is open in order to reduce the rate at which the vacuum
chamber soils.
Finally, it is important to close the valves on the pressurized gas
cylinders after venting the instrument. This prolongs the lifetime of the
tanks when the microscope is not in use.
1.5.4
Closing the Software
Given that user accounts are customizable, and that user actions
are logged, it is important that operators log off their account or close the
SmartSEM
software when they are finished with their session. A usage log
should be kept near the instrument and be updated with information
detailing the session time and general activities conducted during each
user’s session with the microscope.
2.0
References
1.
Operator’s User Guide.
Zeiss ΣIGMA Field Emission Scanning Electron
Microscope. Carl Zeiss NTS Limited, 2011.
2.
Robbins, Roger.
Scanning Electron Microscope Operation Zeiss Supra-40
. The
University of Texas at Dallas, 2011 version.
