Other Equipment

SPI sputter coater: This coater creates a plasma of either gold or gold/palladium to coat samples for scanning electron microscopy samples.

(Structure Probe, Inc., West Chester PA)

Click here to see a Youtube video detailing how to use the SPI coater

Laboratory equipment setup featuring an SPI-Module Sputter Coater and Glow Discharge Unit with control dials, switches, and a connected cylindrical chamber.

Tousimis critical point dryer (CPD): Critical point drying uses liquid CO2 to completely dry samples typically for SEM.  The unit requires staff or specialized training.

(Tousimis Research Company, Rockville MD)

Click here to view a Youtube video about how to use the Tousimis CPD

Control panel of an autosamdri-814 device with gauges for pressure and temperature, switches, adjustment knobs, and a labeled diagram for sample drying operation.

Hitachi Zone: This instrument uses a UV-based cleaning technology to minimize or eliminate hydrocarbon contamination from your SEM samples.

(Hitachi High-Tech, Schaumburg, Illinois)

A blue laboratory instrument labeled ZONE SRA with a control panel and display screen sits on a black countertop.

Tepal Plasmod: This piece of equipment generates an oxygen plasma which can be used to clean samples before imaging. It can also be used to etch biological samples for specialized imaging, or ash samples.

A vintage electronic device labeled PLASMOD with knobs, switches, and a mesh front panel, sitting on a gray surface.

JEOL JEE400 vacuum evaporator: This system uses high heat and a high-vacuum to evaporate a variety of metals or carbon to coat samples.  Requires staff operation.

(JEOL USA, Peabody MA)

A JEOL JEE-4B vacuum evaporation system with control knobs, gauges, and a dome-shaped vacuum chamber is shown on a laboratory countertop.

The Leica MX6: An optical stereoscope used for sample prep, dissection, and orientation.

A stereo microscope with dual eyepieces and flexible light guides sits on a laboratory bench next to electronic equipment and a computer keyboard.

BioRad Glow Discharge unit:  This unit uses a ion plasma primarily for discharging TEM coated grids.

A Bio-Rad PT 2400 Glow Discharge Unit with labeled controls and indicator lights, placed on a countertop with an instruction sheet partially visible in the foreground.

The PELCO easiGlow Glow Discharge Cleaning System: An ideal platform for preparing grids for vitrification.  The fully customizable protocols allow users to adjust and store parameters that make grids more hydrophilic and suitable for sample application.

A PELCO easiGlow device sits on a laboratory bench with a digital display and control panel, used for glow discharge treatment of TEM grids.