Introduction to Operation of the XL30 Scanning Electron Microscope

1
Introduction to Operation of the XL-30 Scanning
Electron Microscope

• Tutorial 1
• Overview of XL-30 Microscope Control Program

2
Purpose

• Purpose of these tutorials is to enable the user
  to understand the basics of OPERATING the XL-30
  to obtain Secondary Electron and Back Scattered
  Electron Images, and to obtain an Energy
  Dispersive X-Ray Spectrum.
• Very little theory is given.
• If the users requirements demand further
  instruction, he or she should seek further formal
  instruction.

3
Overview
4
Windows 3.1

• The operating program runs under Windows 3.1,
  which you may not be familiar with.
• If the instrument is on when you start, Windows
  3.1 should be running. If it is not, click HERE
  for additional instructions.

5
XL-30 Operation Program

• Find the XL 30Control window in the Program
  Manager
• Click the icon that is labeledMicroscope
  Control

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Microscope Control
7
Pages

• The right side of the control screen holds
  various pages.
• WHAT page is noted in the upper right corner.
• This one is the Settings page.

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Settings Page

• The Settings Page contains three items with
  drop-down tabs
• Vacuum
• Beam
• Video

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Settings Beam

• You should not need to use this subpage.
• It is used for saturating the filament and some
  other adjustments.
• Do not adjust FiL Current without assistance.

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Settings - Vacuum

• You should not use the ShutDown or change the
  purge time.

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Settings Video

• ACB Auto Contrast Bright
• Videoscope intensity profile
• Histogram grey levels of complete image.
• Measurement (F7) brings up X, Y measurement
  tool.

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Imaging

• Imaging Page has two dropdowns
• Imaging
• Video
• Video has already been described. It is the same
  dropdown that is on the Settings Page.

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Imaging Imaging

• Imaging dropdown contains adjustments for
• Magnification
• Scan rotation
• Stigmation (hold shift right click mouse)
• Tilt correction
• Split screen viewing

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Image Manipulation

• Nobody uses this.
• Very basic and not user-friendly way to add text
  and basic image enhancement.

15
Survey

• We dont have a motorized stage on this
  instrument so this page is pretty-much worthless.

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Adjustments

• Stay out of this.

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4 Quadrants

• The idea here is to be able to view several
  different signals at the same time. Our
  instrument has SE and BE detectors that can be
  viewed here. But why not just use the split
  screen mode in Imaging?

18
Menu Bar Functions

• Next we take a quick look at the Menu Bar and the
  various options.

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Menu Bar Image!

• Clicking Image! will bring up a box that asks you
  if you are sure you want to do this.
• The idea here is to provide a fast one button
  operation to an INITIAL IMAGE. (sometimes it
  works)

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Menu Bar Magn.

• Allows for a selection of pre-defined
  magnification settings.
• Magnification may also be changed by using the
  and on the keypad.

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Menu Bar Magn. 2

• Selecting CHANGE on the magnification menu allows
  new presets to be entered into the list.

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Menu Bar Magn. 3

• Selecting Device Display adjust the scale bar
  for the desired output.
• This should be at Display

23
Menu Bar Beam

• Preset accelerating voltage can be selected.
• Spot size (beam current) can be selected.

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Menu Bar Beam 2

• Selecting Change on the Beam menu allows the
  user to input desired accelerating voltages.

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Menu Bar Scan

• Scan speed selection
• Full Frame normal operation
• Selected area, reduced area generally at a
  faster refresh rate.
• Horizonatal line
• Spot
• Most of the above have icon buttons that bring up
  the desired utility.

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Menu Bar Scan

• Normally this is not changed, but you can change
  the preset speeds and pixel density.
• Please reset when finished.

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Menu Bar Detectors

• There are two detectors to choose from
• Secondary Electron
• Backscattered Electron.

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Menu Bar Detectors 2

• If you go to Change on the detector dropdown
  menu you can change the voltage on the faraday
  cage in front of the secondary electron detector.

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Menu Bar - Filter

• There are various ways to view an image
• Live is the signal as received. But often the
  image is clearer if you average some frames
  together, especially at a fast raster speed.
• You can also integrate frames to increase signal
  to noise.
• Freeze stops the scan

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Menu Bar Filter 2

• When you click change on the filter dropdown, a
  listing of options for the various filtering is
  shown.
• You can change the options to suit your need.

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Menu In/Out

• The In/Out Menu contains some useful items and
  others that have no relevance.
• We will take a quick look at each.

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Menu In/Out 2

• From the In/Out Image selection you can load and
  save files.
• Transfer you data to the Dell PC when you have
  finished you session. (see Link Maven
  instructions).

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Menu In/Out 3

• Parameters
• You can store microscope settings in VCT files.
  These files have
• Accelerating voltage,
• spot size
• magnification
• stigmator settings
• etc.
• Nobody uses this.

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Menu In/Out 4

• This is pretty useful especially if you want to
  label and image.
• With the options here you can turn on/off what is
  displayed on the data label when the image is
  displayed.
• The options are self-explanitory.

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Menu In/Out 5

• Generates a gray scale image across the screen.
  Used to calibrate a camera or video printer, but
  as we use neither.

36
Menu In/Out 6

• You really dont need to change anything here,
  and if you do it will probably mess up something.

37
Icons

• Icons quick access to useful functions

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Next Tutorial

• The next tutorial will outline the general
  procedure for obtaining a secondary electron
  image.