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Quality Controls on SEM Performance: A Novel Reference Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Brendan J. Griffin  and
Sharon T. Platten
Brendan J. Griffin*
Affiliation:
Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
Sharon T. Platten
Affiliation:
Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
*
Brendan.Griffin@uwa.edu.au

Extract

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The monitoring of performance of an SEM in a multi-user facility is a difficult task as user feedback is generally not reliable. Regular quality control measurements must be undertaken using standard conditions to maintain research-quality products. The test specimens should also be available to the general user community to allow them to monitor their own skills against the reference images. The ready availability of these specimens also helps to eliminate problems related to user specimen preparation, as users can refer back to them when in doubt with respect to SEM performance.

Certified SEM imaging standards are expensive and cannot be provided routinely, particularly where a number of SEM are present. We have investigated a range of potential materials and preparations in search of a low cost, reliable and robust specimen for use in routine (day-to-day) quality control.

Type
Microscopy 101
Information
Microscopy Today , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , May 2007 , pp. 51
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2007

References

Griffin, B.J., Nockolds, C.E., Phillips, M.R. and Remond, G. (2000): “New needs for imaging and x-ray microanalysis standards: ESEM, CHIME and low voltage microanalysis.” Institute of Physics Conference Series #165 (Proc. of the 2nd meeting of the International Union of Microbeam Analysis Societies - Kona, Hawaii, USA) p.395-6.Google Scholar
Platten, S.T. and Griffin, B.J. (2002): “Quality controls on SEM performance; A comparison of novel reference samples.” Proceedings of the 17th Australian Conference on Electron Microscopy, Adelaide, Australia pp. 95.Google Scholar