TITLE: SEM User Guide (Hubbs Hall)
AUTHORS: Greg Rouse

[DESCRIPTION]
Basics on how to use the SEM machine at Hubbs Hall at SIO.

[GUIDELINES]
Contact Greg Rouse or Martin Tresguerres with any questions.

[STEPS]
SECTION: Power On/Set-up
1. The machine will be either shut down (red button) or standby (yellow button). If red press the yellow button and wait a few minutes. Then press green button (ON) - this turns on the computer, and activates the vacuum pump and powers the SEM. 


SECTION: Power On/Set-up
2. From the PC desktop, double click on the SmartSEM user interface icon. You will then see a user dialogue/boot-up menu pop up (EM Server) and begin initializing on the right hand screen. 
GREEN and BLACK/BLUE is good, RED is bad. 
The only red item that is okay, is the stage alignment. All other red items mean 
you may have to reboot the software. 
SECTION: Power On/Set-up
3. A login window will appear: (USERNAME: hubbssem ; PASSWORD: hubbssem). The SEM software will load. 

SECTION: Power On/Set-up
4. On the right side of the left hand screen, you will see an illustration of the stage. Check to make sure the stage is initialized (this should automatically happen as part of the boot. If it doesn’t, you must manually initialize by clicking on “stage init.”) 
“Initialize” allows the stage to move and calibrate the scale.

MAKE SURE TO CLICK ON THE SAFE NAVIGATION BOX, so the stage doesn’t hit the beam. Box must be checked.
SECTION: Power On/Set-up
5. Turn ON nitrogen tank (turn knob to left).
SECTION: Power On/Set-up
6. Flood chamber by clicking on vacuum, then clicking on vent (upper left of screen). 
 

SECTION: Power On/Set-up
7. When the vac status says, at air, and the chamber door pops open and you hear gas streaming, turn OFF the nitrogen tank (turn knob to right). 
 

SECTION: Image Specimens
8. Open the chamber, gently slide it open. Dont pull any cables.. 
SECTION: Image Specimens
9. Put in specimens. There are a maximum of 9 slots. They are numbered on the side of the specimen stage.
Make a specimen map (on a piece of paper) of which number on the SEM stage 
holds which specimen.
 Gently close the chamber after making sure no dust is on the seal/O ring (run gloved finger 
around seal). 

SECTION: Image Specimens
10. While holding the chamber door closed, select pump from the vacuum controls. Hold the chamber closed for ~10s while vacuum is created. 
 

 

SECTION: Image Specimens
11. Watch for chamber vacuum pressure to be reached (you know the chamber pressure is reached when the EHT Vac ready switches from NO, to YES.) 
 

SECTION: Image Specimens
12. Turn the BEAM ON (equivalent to GUN ON). You’ll see the voltage increasing. It will stop at 10kV and then proceed. You normally want it to be at EHT= 20kV .
 

SECTION: Image Specimens
13. Under the GUN tab, select the desired probe amp (should automatically be at 100pAmp). Here, you can also change the kV. You don't normally need to do this.
SECTION: Image Specimens
14. Under the DETECTORS tab, you can choose between the SE detector and backscatter. SE detector is the usual choice you should use for the best images.

SECTION: Image Specimens
15. Use the Z toggle to move the stage up towards the beam so WD is 10mm or below (under the blue line). Again, make sure the z-limit Safe Navigation box is checked.
SECTION: Image Specimens
16. Double click on the stub number to position the beam, then use the X/Y toggle to precisely position the specimen. You may need to use the Magnification and Focus toggles to locate the sample. Use speed 1, under the Speeds button. 
SECTION: Image Specimens
17. Parameters to adjust for optimal imaging: (Set scan speed to speed 4 for better adjusting).
 Adjust the Brightness and Contrast (keep brightness ~ 50%, and adjust contrast to preference).
Adjust Magnification 
Adjust Focus. To fine tune, click the Reduce button, move the green box to the area of the specimen that should be in the most focus. Zoom in (using Magnification toggle) and re-focus. 
If things seem out of focus you can try and adjust Aperture X&Y, especially at the beginning of a seesion. Adjust X and refocus and then Y and keep adjusting until the focus is optimised. Check again as you contine to work.. 
Click off the Reduce button and lower the magnification and frame the image.
If needed, press the Scan rotate button down and use this to position the image. 
SECTION: Image Specimens
18. To take a picture:
Set the scan speed to speed 8
Check the resolution is set to what you need. Publication quality is 3072 × 2304 pixels
Click Freeze button. Wait until the image is fully loaded/scanned. 
Click File > Save Image. Type in specimen information. 
SECTION: Shut Down
19. Lower stage completely and center it. 
SECTION: Shut Down
20. Click, Beam, then Beam Off. (Synonymous with “Gun Off”). 
 

SECTION: Shut Down
21. Turn Nitrogen on. 
SECTION: Shut Down
22. Click on Vacuum, then Vent. (It may take a while until the gun is completely off for Vent to be clickable). 
 

SECTION: Shut Down
23. Turn Nitrogen off. 
SECTION: Shut Down
24. Take specimens out (wearing gloves). 
SECTION: Shut Down
25. Gently close the chamber, click on Pump while continuing to hold it closed until a vacuum is created. Wait until numbers stop moving. 
 

SECTION: Shut Down
26. Click on File in Smart SEM and then Exit. Close the EM Server on the right screen by clicking the x upper right corner.
SECTION: Shut Down
28. Push the yellow standby button. If no-one will be using the microscope for a few days or more then press the red button to turn the microscope completely off and shut down the pump
SECTION: Shut Down
29. Sign out on the log sheet. 
SECTION: Shut Down
27. Shutdown the computer.