Coordinated Instrumentation Facility
Microscopy Lab
Page Contents
- Welcome
- Scanning Electron Microscopy
- Transmission Electron Microscopy
- Fluorescence Microscopy
- Multi-photon Laser Scanning Microscopy
Welcome
The Microscopy Laboratory is located in Percival Stern Hall, suite 3001. Two full-time microscopists are available to assist users with morphological analysis of both biological and material science samples. They are also available to operate the instrumentation and to consult with researchers. This lab houses a number of common pieces of sample preparation eqipment, including an ultramicrotome, a heavy-metal sputter coater, and a carbon-sublimator.Scanning Electron Microscopy
- A variable pressure Hitachi 3400 electron microscope was installed in 2005. The microscope has the following features:
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- Tungsten filament, 0.1kV~30kV
- SEM Resolution: 3.0 nm@30KV
- VP-SEM Resolution: 4.0 nm@30kV; Max pressure: 270 Pa
- SE +BSE (solid state, simultaneous TV rate observation)
- 10 inch specimen chamber
- Auto alignment; easy operation
- Analysis: EDS, WDS with mapping capability
- In 2005, the CIF installed a Hitachi 4800 High-resolution SEM. The microscope has the following features:
- 1.0nm resolution at 15kV
- completely motorized stage
- interfaced to an EDS
- Gatan Cryo capabilities
Transmission Electron Microscopy
The CIF Microscopy Laboratory installed a JEOL 2010 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) in 2001. This microscope has the following features:- 200 kV maximum accelerating voltage.
- Lab 6 filament.
- Possible 0.5 nm resolution in scan mode.
- Energy-Dispersive X-ray System (EDS) for elemental mapping
- Gatan Cryo capabilities
Fluorescence Microscopy
The Scanalytics® CellScan™ System
- Fluorescently-labeled samples can be imaged at sub-micron resolution with three-dimensional computer reconstructions.
- White Light Source
Multi-photon Laser Scanning Microscopy
Multi-photon Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM) offers images far superior to those obtainable via conventional Fluorescence Microscopy. In traditional Confocal Microscopy, a laser beam is scanned across the specimen in the X and Y dimensions, and minute aperatures, placed at points confocal to the focal plane within the specimen, block emissions of other planes from detection. Thus an image of a two-dimensional plane of the sample is captured. By moving either the specimen or aperatures, additional planes are collected along the z-axis, and three-dimensional representations of the sample can then be constructed. Multi-photon LSM utilizes short pulses of a lower energy laser, typically in the infra-red. Fluorophores are excited by coordinated absorption of two or more photons. The probability of a multi-photon event occurring is limited to the region very near the point of focus. Fluorescence is therefore controlled in all three dimensions, eliminating the need for the confocal aperatures, and thus, increasing sensitivity. Also, the problems of photobleaching and phototoxicity are minimized.The CIF Microscopy Laboratory installed a Zeiss LSM 510 with Inverted Microscope
in January, 2003. This microscope has the following features: 
- An image size of 2k x 2k with an image depth of 12 bits.
- Individual pinholes for 4 detectors.
- Field size up to 18 mm.
- Ability to rotate scan 360 degrees.
- Laser: MAI TAI-AX-UPR-110 integrated two-photon laser system.
- Ti: sapphire laser source with 7700 mW output power.
- Tunable wavelength between 780 - 920 nm.