Carbon coater for the Dalhousie Regional Microprobe Facility

达尔豪西地区微探针设施的碳涂层机

• 批准号: RTI-2020-00258
• 负责人: Brenan, James
• 金额: $ 4.26万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=690843
• 关键词: Carbon; coater; Dalhousie; Regional; Microprobe

High spatial resolution imaging and microanalysis of non-conducting materials using electron beam methods requires the application of a conducting film to the sample surface. Carbon is typically the film of choice, as its low atomic number mass results in minimal attenuation of the characteristic x-rays used in elemental analysis. Without a device for achieving carbon coats that are sufficiently thin, and whose thickness is reproducible, accurate microanalysis of non-conducting materials by electron-induced x-ray emission is not possible. The carbon coater used in the Dalhousie University Robert M. MacKay Microprobe facility is more than 20 years old and is at the end of its useful service. More frequent failure of critical components is now reducing the certainty of adequate sample preparation for analysis, and impacting the facility's ability to deliver analytical services. Approximately 50 different PIs across the region have used the facility over the past five years, including more than twice that number in the graduate and undergraduate students and PDFs they supervise. The facility is also used by local industry involved in diverse areas such as mineral exploration, development of advanced energy storage, as well as corrosion testing and failure analysis. Without a device for achieving carbon coats that are sufficiently thin, and whose thickness is reproducible, accurate analysis of non-conducting materials using the EMP is not possible, and research involving this instrument would be severely impacted. Funds are requested to replace the existing carbon coater with a new instrument capable of applying the necessary conducting films, and with additional features that would extend the application of microanalysis into new areas of research and development.

使用电子束方法对非导电材料进行高空间分辨率成像和微量分析需要在样品表面涂覆导电薄膜。碳通常是首选薄膜，因为其原子序数质量较低，因此元素分析中使用的特征 X 射线的衰减最小。如果没有用于获得足够薄且厚度可再现的碳涂层的装置，则不可能通过电子诱导X射线发射对非导电材料进行精确的微量分析。达尔豪斯大学 Robert M. MacKay Microprobe 设施中使用的碳涂层机已有 20 多年的历史，已达到其使用寿命。关键部件更频繁的故障现在降低了分析所需样品准备充分的确定性，并影响了设施提供分析服务的能力。过去五年里，该地区大约有 50 名不同的 PI 使用了该设施，其中研究生和本科生以及他们监督的 PDF 的数量是这一数字的两倍多。 该设施还被当地工业界使用，涉及矿产勘探、先进能源存储开发以及腐蚀测试和故障分析等多个领域。如果没有能够实现足够薄且厚度可重复的碳涂层的装置，则不可能使用电磁脉冲对非导电材料进行精确分析，并且涉及该仪器的研究将受到严重影响。 需要资金来更换现有的碳涂层机，以能够施加必要的导电膜的新仪器，并具有将微分析的应用扩展到新的研究和开发领域的附加功能。