May 12, 2011 — JEOL’s atomic resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), the JEM-ARM200F, rapidly resumes operation after flashing, a routine procedure conducted with any TEM featuring a Cold field emission gun (FEG) source.

Long considered a tradeoff for the higher resolution, higher brightness, and smaller energy spread of a cold FEG TEM, emission stability degrades due to residual gases in the area of the tip. With conventional cold FEG TEMs, the operator must flash every few hours to clean the tip, disrupting operation. 

The JEOL ARM200F Cold FEG TEM offers "Flash & Go," allowing the microscope to resume operation within seconds after flashing, instead of the typical half hour or more that most users of Cold FEG TEMs expect. A newly developed vacuum system effectively evacuates the area around the Cold FEG source to the order of 1 x 10-9 Pa.

The ARM200F with Cold FEG represents a radical departure from electron optical technology, achieving imaging resolution of 78 picometers with an energy resolution of better than 0.3eV. The higher brightness and narrower energy spread enabled by the Cold FEG are optimized by the ultra stable emission, greatly enhancing atom-atom imaging and chemical analysis.

To see the process, visit www.jeolusa.com/flashandgo.

Follow Small Times on Twitter.com by clicking www.twitter.com/smalltimes. Or join our Facebook group