In situ milling inside the LC-SEM

The large chamber scanning electron microscope (LC-SEM) will accommodate a specimen one-meter in diameter and one-meter high weighing 300 Kg, making it the largest chamber scanning electron microscope in the world! The LC-SEM has a variable pressure option that allows for critical surface characterization studies on conductive and non-conductive surfaces. Analytical capabilities include:

• Backscatter Detector
• Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS)
• Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR)
• Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
  

This instrument can accommodate full-size specimens; or specimens can be cut in such a way as not to damage the area of interest. Also, except for FIB analysis, the LC-SEM evaluation is nondestructive. Following is a short list of applications for various industries.

Aerospace

Because of the LC-SEM’s ability to accommodate a specimen one-meter in diameter by one-meter high weighing 300 kg, aerospace applications offer a multitude of possibilities such as compressor blade evaluation, small spacecraft or spacecraft components evaluation, failure analysis of full size components, nondestructive evaluation of “before and after” studies on wear, and general materials characterization. On a smaller scale, possibilities include the evaluation of atmospheric particulate contamination, solar dust, comet particles, and circuit boards.
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Automotive Industry

Because of the size of automotive components, their evaluation has proved to be very challenging. Until the invention of the large chamber SEM, small pieces of failed engine blocks, pistons, drive shafts, etc. had to be cut into specimens small enough to fit into a conventional SEM.

Example of an engine block during the scanning process

Unfortunately, cutting close to a failed surface can introduce other anomalies that could skew the evaluation. The LC-SEM can perform failure evaluations on full-size or large components and provide morphological and chemical analysis of the failure surface. The LC-SEM also can be used to nondestructively evaluate piston wear. ( back to top )

Government Agencies

An operator at the console of the LC-SEM

Restricted by chamber size, there are no scanning electron microscopes at government agencies or in the continental United States capable of complete part evaluation including extensive analytical evaluation. Furthermore, many government facilities anticipate that more stringent evaluation criteria will be required within the next few years that cannot be met using existing evaluation equipment. The LC-SEM will provide a demonstration of how to meet these critical needs. The LC-SEM is an instrument with high lateral resolution and large depth of focus that can perform microanalysis functions for specific composition determination on specimens with dimensions up to one-meter in diameter by one-meter high. ( back to top )

In situ soldering of an SMD resistor, showing resistor movement during the soldering process.

Medical Manufacturers

Because of its ability to evaluate both conductive and nonconductive materials, the large chamber SEM provides the medical community an opportunity for extensive, nondestructive corrosion and wear evaluation of medical implants and proposed materials for implants, as well as evaluation of the interface of implants coupled with exterior components (cochlear implants). This instrument can take the physician to a new level of understanding for such things as determining the best configuration for plasma sprayed materials that will optimize knitting the implant with the body.
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Military Applications

Why is a ceramic filter on a nuclear submarine clogging? Is that a fatigue crack radiating from a rivet on an airfoil? What caused the gun barrel to fail? What is the actual crystallographic microstructure of the new armor and did it receive the correct heat treatment? These and many more answers can be achieved by LC-SEM evaluation.
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Museums and Universities

The LC-SEM offers the unique capability to examine large artifacts without destroying the artifact. Examination can provide important materials information, such as why one cup has a patina and another cup doesn't, how many convolutions are in the Damascus blade, or what might have crushed the femur of the T-rex. The LC-SEM truly can open the door of the past for you.
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