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Leica S430 Scanning Electron Microscope Operations Checklist (view source)
Revision as of 01:11, 20 January 2014
, 01:11, 20 January 2014Created page with "==OVERVIEW== The SEM Operation checklist in Section 2 contains step by step instructions to operate the SEM. Note that these steps reference Procedures described in #PROCED..."
==OVERVIEW==
The SEM Operation checklist in Section 2 contains step by step instructions to operate the SEM. Note that these steps reference Procedures described in [[#PROCEDURES]]. These are listed in alphabetical order. For troubleshooting, see [[TROUBLESHOOTING]].
==SEM OPERATION==
===STARTUP===
* Verify power switch in Standby, vacuum pumps running.
** If not, go to [[#POWER / VACUUM TROUBLESHOOTING]].
* Power switch to On.
* Enter BIOS Password.
* Run LEO UIF.
* Select user directory.
* View -> DataZone.
* Check vacuum.
* No vacuum / right pulldown says At Air – follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER]] procedure.
** Vacuum in e-4 torr range:
*** Follow [[#VENT CHAMBER]] procedure.
*** Wait 3 minutes for chamber to fully vent.
*** Follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER}} procedure.
** Vacuum in e-5 torr range or better: Proceed.
* Set X to 50.00
* Set Z to 31.0 (or less if a tall sample is in the chamber)
* Set Tilt to 0
===BEAM ON===
* Press Stoplight icon.
* Wait for image.
* Adjust Brightness. (Contrast / Brightness icon)
* Set EHT appropriate to sample.
* Locate sample.
* Focus. (see [[#FOCUS]] procedure)
* After 5 minutes since adjusting EHT have elapsed, follow [[#FILAMENT CURRENT]] procedure.
* If an aperture other than #2 is required, follow [[#CHANGE APERTURE]] procedure. NOTE: #2 aperture is usually the best aperture, so changing apertures isn’t necessary.
===OPERATION===
* Move sample as required to center item of interest.
* Zoom (Magnifying glass icon, left mouse button) as required.
* When zooming, stop to focus (see FOCUS procedure) frequently.
* At very high magnification, move field of view with beam shift:
** Beam -> Stigmation..
** Click Beam Shift.
** Drag scroll bars or position dot as needed.
** Press HOME key to undo all beam shift.
** Consider noise reduction (see [[#NOISE REDUCTION]] procedure) if necessary prior to exporting images.
** Export images as needed. (see [[#EXPORT IMAGE]] procedure)
===SHUTDOWN===
* Change to aperture #2 and align aperture if you previously changed to a different aperture. Follow [[#CHANGE APERTURE]] procedure.
* Set X to 50.00
* Set Z to 31.0 (or less if a tall sample is in the chamber)
* Set Tilt to 0
* Single click upper left box.
* Click SEM Shutdown.
* Shutdown: Save Operating Conditions? Click No.
* Follow [[#PUSH IMAGES]] procedure if you saved images.
* Double click upper left box of Program Manager.
* Click OK.
* At DOS prompt, click Standby power button.
==PROCEDURES==
===ALIGN APERTURE===
* Zoom in to 1000x.
* Center on noticeable object or feature.
* Follow [[#FOCUS]] procedure, including anti-hysteresis. (F2)
* Reduced raster (Monitor icon with square) - size and drag to cover noticeable object or feature in question.
* Scan rate to fastest. (Click Fast Forward icon 3 times)
* Click Focus Wobble icon. (Icon with red half sine wave at bottom)
* Adjust X and Y aperture controls, one at a time, to cancel movement.
* Click Off button in focus wobble box.
===CHANGE APERTURE===
* Beam -> Apertures.
* Select aperture number.
* Click OK.
* Turn Y aperture control to select proper aperture:
* Turn knob IN for 1, OUT for 3
* E.g. to change from aperture #2 to #1,turn clockwise
* Adjust Y for maximum brightness.
* Follow [[#ALIGN APERTURE]] procedure.
===EXPORT IMAGE===
* File -> Export TIFF
* Click Freeze if image not already frozen.
* Click OK to export.
* Image -> Unfreeze
===FILAMENT CURRENT===
* Scan rate to fastest. (Click Fast Forward icon 3 times)
* Click light bulb icon.
* Left mouse button – adjust I(M) for 1st peak.
* Lower Brightness (Contrast / Brightness icon) if too bright to differentiate peak, then continue adjusting filament current.
* WARNING: Increasing filament current substantially past 1st peak shortens filament life.
* NOTE for 2nd peak operation:
* Possible IF AND ONLY IF you can identify a well-defined 1st and 2nd peak.
** Increase I(M) current SLOWLY. Note that a falling off after 1st peak and sharp rise to 2nd peak should be identifiable when increasing filament current.
** If these features are not visible within 0.1A to 0.2A beyond 1st peak, STOP. DECREASE FILAMENT CURRENT and operate at 1st peak only.
** If well defined 2nd peak is visible, adjust for maximum brightness such that ANY decrease in current decreases image intensity. NOTE: Any operation above this point even more drastically shortens filament life and must be avoided.
===FOCUS===
* Consider anti-hysteresis (F2) after major parameter changes. (zoom changes
* Consider reduced raster. (Monitor icon with square, size and drag as appropriate)
* Set appropriate scan rate. (Fast Forward / Rewind arrow icons)
* Select Focus. (Magnifying glass icon)
* Middle button: drag to set Working Distance and focus image.
* Full screen raster. (Monitor icon without square)
* Set appropriate scan rate.
* NOTE: The image noticeably shifting during focus adjustment indicates the aperture is not in alignment. Follow [[#ALIGN APERTURE]] procedure.
* NOTE: Auto-focus can be done via F key but it can sometimes make focus worse.
===NOISE REDUCTION===
* Scan rate to slowest. (Click Rewind icon 3 times)
* Image -> Noise Reduction..
* For Frame Mode, which scans at the same rate but averages multiple successive frames, making the image clearer:
** Increase “Frames to average” slider.
** Click Frame Avg. button.
* For Line Mode, which scans each line repeatedly and averages each line:
** Increase “Line Avg.” slider.
** Click Line Avg. button.
* After making adjustments, wait for scan to pass the bottom of the screen and, when visible at the top, click Freeze mode / At end button.
* When blue square appears in the lower right corner of the screen, the image is frozen and can be exported. Follow EXPORT IMAGE procedure.
* Restore both sliders to the left and click Frame Avg. button.
* Close Noise Reduction window.
* Image -> Unfreeze.
===PUSH IMAGES===
* WARNING: Only do this when LEO UIF software is shut down!
* Double click “Push [Your Name]” from list of icons in User Operations window.
* Black screen and lots of scrolling text: Success.
** Download images from ftp://semsrv.pumpingstationone.org to a laptop or other device.
** Double click “Delete [Your Name]” from list of icons in User Operations window. This deletes the images from the SEM hard disk.
** NOTE: No automatic delete happens on the SEM hard disk. Users must delete images once they have been safely transferred off the SEM.
** Images will be deleted automatically from the server in two weeks.
* OR black screen and one line of text, and everything has paused: Failure. NOTE: This failure mode is fairly common after operating the SEM.
** Hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete. At blue screen, hit Enter.
** Shut down Windows as usual.
** At the DOS prompt, Ctrl-Alt-Delete to reboot.
** Enter BIOS Password.
** Repeat this procedure WITHOUT LAUNCHING LEO UIF.
===PUMP CHAMBER===
* Press V (if vacuum window not open).
* Click Pump.
* OK to start beam once vacuum stabilizes at or below 6e-5 torr.
* Close Vacuum window.
* If vacuum does not reach this level in 20 minutes, report to mailing list.
===VENT CHAMBER===
* Press V (if vacuum window not open).
* Click Vent.
==TROUBLESHOOTING==
===MOUSE TROUBLESHOOTING===
* In case of erratic mouse movement:
** Lift mouse, shake it, blow into track ball
** Shift the cord around.
* If mouse is stuck changing something (magnification, focus, brightness, contrast, etc.) when the button is no longer held down:
** Press Escape.
** Click anywhere else within the image.
===POWER / VACUUM TROUBLESHOOTING===
* If Off light is illuminated:
** SEM likely lost power. Report loss of power to mailing list.
** Press Standby.
** Wait 30 seconds.
** Press On.
** Proceed as normal, but follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER]] instructions.
* If no lights illuminated:
** If the vacuum pump is running:
*** Bulb likely burnt out. Report to mailing list.
*** Press On, proceed as usual.
** If the vacuum pump is not running:
*** Likely a power problem or a blown breaker.
*** STOP. Report to mailing list.
The SEM Operation checklist in Section 2 contains step by step instructions to operate the SEM. Note that these steps reference Procedures described in [[#PROCEDURES]]. These are listed in alphabetical order. For troubleshooting, see [[TROUBLESHOOTING]].
==SEM OPERATION==
===STARTUP===
* Verify power switch in Standby, vacuum pumps running.
** If not, go to [[#POWER / VACUUM TROUBLESHOOTING]].
* Power switch to On.
* Enter BIOS Password.
* Run LEO UIF.
* Select user directory.
* View -> DataZone.
* Check vacuum.
* No vacuum / right pulldown says At Air – follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER]] procedure.
** Vacuum in e-4 torr range:
*** Follow [[#VENT CHAMBER]] procedure.
*** Wait 3 minutes for chamber to fully vent.
*** Follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER}} procedure.
** Vacuum in e-5 torr range or better: Proceed.
* Set X to 50.00
* Set Z to 31.0 (or less if a tall sample is in the chamber)
* Set Tilt to 0
===BEAM ON===
* Press Stoplight icon.
* Wait for image.
* Adjust Brightness. (Contrast / Brightness icon)
* Set EHT appropriate to sample.
* Locate sample.
* Focus. (see [[#FOCUS]] procedure)
* After 5 minutes since adjusting EHT have elapsed, follow [[#FILAMENT CURRENT]] procedure.
* If an aperture other than #2 is required, follow [[#CHANGE APERTURE]] procedure. NOTE: #2 aperture is usually the best aperture, so changing apertures isn’t necessary.
===OPERATION===
* Move sample as required to center item of interest.
* Zoom (Magnifying glass icon, left mouse button) as required.
* When zooming, stop to focus (see FOCUS procedure) frequently.
* At very high magnification, move field of view with beam shift:
** Beam -> Stigmation..
** Click Beam Shift.
** Drag scroll bars or position dot as needed.
** Press HOME key to undo all beam shift.
** Consider noise reduction (see [[#NOISE REDUCTION]] procedure) if necessary prior to exporting images.
** Export images as needed. (see [[#EXPORT IMAGE]] procedure)
===SHUTDOWN===
* Change to aperture #2 and align aperture if you previously changed to a different aperture. Follow [[#CHANGE APERTURE]] procedure.
* Set X to 50.00
* Set Z to 31.0 (or less if a tall sample is in the chamber)
* Set Tilt to 0
* Single click upper left box.
* Click SEM Shutdown.
* Shutdown: Save Operating Conditions? Click No.
* Follow [[#PUSH IMAGES]] procedure if you saved images.
* Double click upper left box of Program Manager.
* Click OK.
* At DOS prompt, click Standby power button.
==PROCEDURES==
===ALIGN APERTURE===
* Zoom in to 1000x.
* Center on noticeable object or feature.
* Follow [[#FOCUS]] procedure, including anti-hysteresis. (F2)
* Reduced raster (Monitor icon with square) - size and drag to cover noticeable object or feature in question.
* Scan rate to fastest. (Click Fast Forward icon 3 times)
* Click Focus Wobble icon. (Icon with red half sine wave at bottom)
* Adjust X and Y aperture controls, one at a time, to cancel movement.
* Click Off button in focus wobble box.
===CHANGE APERTURE===
* Beam -> Apertures.
* Select aperture number.
* Click OK.
* Turn Y aperture control to select proper aperture:
* Turn knob IN for 1, OUT for 3
* E.g. to change from aperture #2 to #1,turn clockwise
* Adjust Y for maximum brightness.
* Follow [[#ALIGN APERTURE]] procedure.
===EXPORT IMAGE===
* File -> Export TIFF
* Click Freeze if image not already frozen.
* Click OK to export.
* Image -> Unfreeze
===FILAMENT CURRENT===
* Scan rate to fastest. (Click Fast Forward icon 3 times)
* Click light bulb icon.
* Left mouse button – adjust I(M) for 1st peak.
* Lower Brightness (Contrast / Brightness icon) if too bright to differentiate peak, then continue adjusting filament current.
* WARNING: Increasing filament current substantially past 1st peak shortens filament life.
* NOTE for 2nd peak operation:
* Possible IF AND ONLY IF you can identify a well-defined 1st and 2nd peak.
** Increase I(M) current SLOWLY. Note that a falling off after 1st peak and sharp rise to 2nd peak should be identifiable when increasing filament current.
** If these features are not visible within 0.1A to 0.2A beyond 1st peak, STOP. DECREASE FILAMENT CURRENT and operate at 1st peak only.
** If well defined 2nd peak is visible, adjust for maximum brightness such that ANY decrease in current decreases image intensity. NOTE: Any operation above this point even more drastically shortens filament life and must be avoided.
===FOCUS===
* Consider anti-hysteresis (F2) after major parameter changes. (zoom changes
* Consider reduced raster. (Monitor icon with square, size and drag as appropriate)
* Set appropriate scan rate. (Fast Forward / Rewind arrow icons)
* Select Focus. (Magnifying glass icon)
* Middle button: drag to set Working Distance and focus image.
* Full screen raster. (Monitor icon without square)
* Set appropriate scan rate.
* NOTE: The image noticeably shifting during focus adjustment indicates the aperture is not in alignment. Follow [[#ALIGN APERTURE]] procedure.
* NOTE: Auto-focus can be done via F key but it can sometimes make focus worse.
===NOISE REDUCTION===
* Scan rate to slowest. (Click Rewind icon 3 times)
* Image -> Noise Reduction..
* For Frame Mode, which scans at the same rate but averages multiple successive frames, making the image clearer:
** Increase “Frames to average” slider.
** Click Frame Avg. button.
* For Line Mode, which scans each line repeatedly and averages each line:
** Increase “Line Avg.” slider.
** Click Line Avg. button.
* After making adjustments, wait for scan to pass the bottom of the screen and, when visible at the top, click Freeze mode / At end button.
* When blue square appears in the lower right corner of the screen, the image is frozen and can be exported. Follow EXPORT IMAGE procedure.
* Restore both sliders to the left and click Frame Avg. button.
* Close Noise Reduction window.
* Image -> Unfreeze.
===PUSH IMAGES===
* WARNING: Only do this when LEO UIF software is shut down!
* Double click “Push [Your Name]” from list of icons in User Operations window.
* Black screen and lots of scrolling text: Success.
** Download images from ftp://semsrv.pumpingstationone.org to a laptop or other device.
** Double click “Delete [Your Name]” from list of icons in User Operations window. This deletes the images from the SEM hard disk.
** NOTE: No automatic delete happens on the SEM hard disk. Users must delete images once they have been safely transferred off the SEM.
** Images will be deleted automatically from the server in two weeks.
* OR black screen and one line of text, and everything has paused: Failure. NOTE: This failure mode is fairly common after operating the SEM.
** Hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete. At blue screen, hit Enter.
** Shut down Windows as usual.
** At the DOS prompt, Ctrl-Alt-Delete to reboot.
** Enter BIOS Password.
** Repeat this procedure WITHOUT LAUNCHING LEO UIF.
===PUMP CHAMBER===
* Press V (if vacuum window not open).
* Click Pump.
* OK to start beam once vacuum stabilizes at or below 6e-5 torr.
* Close Vacuum window.
* If vacuum does not reach this level in 20 minutes, report to mailing list.
===VENT CHAMBER===
* Press V (if vacuum window not open).
* Click Vent.
==TROUBLESHOOTING==
===MOUSE TROUBLESHOOTING===
* In case of erratic mouse movement:
** Lift mouse, shake it, blow into track ball
** Shift the cord around.
* If mouse is stuck changing something (magnification, focus, brightness, contrast, etc.) when the button is no longer held down:
** Press Escape.
** Click anywhere else within the image.
===POWER / VACUUM TROUBLESHOOTING===
* If Off light is illuminated:
** SEM likely lost power. Report loss of power to mailing list.
** Press Standby.
** Wait 30 seconds.
** Press On.
** Proceed as normal, but follow [[#PUMP CHAMBER]] instructions.
* If no lights illuminated:
** If the vacuum pump is running:
*** Bulb likely burnt out. Report to mailing list.
*** Press On, proceed as usual.
** If the vacuum pump is not running:
*** Likely a power problem or a blown breaker.
*** STOP. Report to mailing list.
