Low Vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope - JEOL JSM-5310LV

The Low Vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope (LV SEM) with EDS at our facility contains the following main features and capabilities:

Secondary-electron and backscattered-electron imaging with compositional and topographic modes
The instrument can operate at a range in pressures, facilitating the observation of humid/wet specimens without drying or coating
Maximum magnification: up to 50,000x under high vacuum mode and 5,000x under low vacuum
One thin window energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) with a solid-state Si (Li) detector
Semi-quantitative EDS analysis without standardization
Multi-element area maps with beam scan mode
Output: polaroid photographs or digital imaging system through EDAX analyzer
Maximum sample size: 40x40 mm

Sample Preparation:

For high vacuum imaging, drying (dehydration) and sputter coating are required. Preferred coating material is gold-palladium alloy, but gold, aluminum, and carbon are also available. Some specific biological specimens need fixation and dehydration for several 3 days
For low vacuum imaging, no specific preparation is required