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Concise Descriptions of CMIRT and Its Instruments

• FEI Quanta 400 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM)

• Oxford INCA 400 X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS)

• FEI Tecnai 12T Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

• Olympus FV-300 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM)

• Philips X-Ray Powder Diffractometer (XRD)

• Leica Ultracut UCT Ultramicrotome

• Denton BTT-IV Vacuum Coater

• Cressington 108A Automatic Sputter Coater with MTM20 Thickness Monitor

• Tousimmis AutoSamDri 815 Critical Point Drier

• CMIRT Laboratories

         FEI Quanta 400 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM), tungsten filament, 3.2 nm resolution, 200V-30 kV accelerating voltage, secondary electron imaging in “ESEM” (up to 20 Torr), “Low Vacuum” (up to 1 Torr), and “High Vacuum” (less than 10^-5 Torr) Modes.  Backscatter Electron imaging in all but the ESEM modes.  Accessories include a cold stage that provides temperature control to 30^o C (~-10^o C) below ambient for hydrated specimens viewed in ESEM mode.  Single and multi-specimen stages are included among those provided for enhanced analysis and imaging.  The Quanta imaging acquisition system is entirely digital.  Image resolutions range from 512 to 3500+  pixels (horizontal), and images may be saved in TIFF, JPEG and other formats.  The ESEM is integrated with an Oxford INCA X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS).

        Oxford INCA 400 X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) is integrated with the Quanta 400 ESEM.  Its basic capabilities include basic frame (specimen) area analysis, Point and ID, and Element Mapping.  Additional capabilities include automation via the “Automate” macro utility and the FEATURE GSR (Gun Shot Residue).  Automate has "Record" capability for the automation of long unattended analyses on single or multiple specimens using the basic acquisition and analysis packages included with INCA.  Feature GSR is an amplified version of Feature that includes a formulated procedure for unattended acquisition of X-ray data for analysis of material collected at crime scenes to test for residue of previously fired guns or rifles.  Feature itself is a module that can analyze single or multiple specimens based on grayscale thresholding of objects in a specimen field.  Results are returned in a database that includes images, morphometric and S-Ray analytic information concerning recognized objects in the specimen.  This module can count and analyze object of specific chemical composition or all detected objects and subsequently classify the objects stored in the database as the operator wishes.  Automation is rapid and most importantly, unattended.

            FEI Tecnai 12 Twin,  20-120 kV, Gatan DualVision 300V, side-entry cooled CCD camera with image streaming capability.  The DualVision camera software is equipped with Photomontage and DiffPack plugins.  In addition, the Tecnai is equipped with FEI PhotoMontage for film plates.  The Tungsten filament provides 0.2 nm resolution.  The system is completely computer controlled using a Control PC for the microscope and camera and a Support PC as a bridge to external output and remote access.  Primary functions of this microscope are  imaging and electron diffraction.

        Philips X-Ray Powder Diffractometer with X-Ray Generator (XRG) Model 3100, Automatic Powder Diffraction (APD) 3520 with APD 1710 software.  Up to 40kV and 30mA power to a Cu-source X-Ray tube.  Diffractometer collects Debye-Scherrer type patterns.  An Automatic Powder Diffraction (APD) 3520 control module is itself controlled by Philips APD 1710 software on a 16-bit PC from which acquisition, parameters, peak analysis and matching can be accomplished.

        Olympus FV-300 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM) with three exciting lasers at 488 nm, 543 nm and 633 nm.  The imaging system can acquire two laser-fluorescent channels and one transmitted channel.  Software can assemble acquired images in a stack to provide manipulable 3-D renditions of fluorescent parts of tissues and/or cells in volumes of specimen defined by the magnification provided by the selected objective.

        Cressington 108A Sputter Coater with mtm20 Thickness Monitor.  This device provides a means of applying a measured layer of gold/palladium (60/40) to specimens prior to viewing them in high vacuum (very low pressure).  The purpose is to provide a thin  conductive layer that is conductive or a very thin layer that augments the secondary emissions of a fine-textures specimen.  Operation is effectively automatic.

        Tousimmis AutoSamDri 815 Critical Point Drier.  This device provides a means of drying a specimen prior to viewing by substituting liquid CO2 for ethanol, acetone or other suitable transitional fluid in which the specimen is initially immersed so that very fine surface structure avoid the destructive effects of drying by evaporation.  Once the transitional fluid has been completely purged and the specimen is immersed in only liquid CO2, the temperature and pressure are raised to a point at which the CO2 - at its critical point - converts to a gas.  Operation is effectively automatic.

        The CMIRT is a core facility housed in a circumscribed area in the basement of Schmucker Science Center South on the campus of West Chester University.  The space encompasses approximately 4000ft² with nine instrument laboratories, one preparation lab, one teaching lab, one sectioning room, two offices, one darkroom and one storage and work room.