Agar Scientific has launched the 1070 Nanoclean system from Fischione Instruments that quickly and automatically removes organic contamination, or hydrocarbons, for electron microscopy applications.
It simultaneously cleans electron microscopy specimens, specimen holders and stubs.
The multifunctional system is also said to be ideal for other surface science techniques.
The use of a touch-screen interface allows quick and simple setup.
The cleaning process is solely by reactive gas compounds formed by the plasma chemically reacting with carbonaceous material on the specimen and specimen holder.
A low-energy, inductively coupled, high-frequency downstream plasma effectively cleans the specimen surface without changing its elemental composition or structural characteristics.
In addition, to enhance this capability, the Nanoclean incorporates multiple gas inlets complete with a mixing facility.
In electron microscopes with high-brightness electron sources, specimens that are not plasma treated tend to contaminate more readily.
The Model 1070 Nanoclean ensures that carbonaceous contamination will not interfere with imaging or analysis, even during fine probe microanalysis for extended periods.
Even highly contaminated specimens may be cleaned in two minutes or less.
To meet the needs of as many electron microscope users as possible, the Model 1070 has been designed to readily accept one or two side-entry specimen holders for all commercial TEMs, STEMs and SEMs.
An additional port allows large, bulky objects to be placed in the chamber for processing while a specially designed specimen holder port allows the cleaning of specimens contained on carbon grids.
An additional feature is that the new system can be used as vacuum pumping station for evacuating vacuum storage containers.
