So...weve now got the Scanning Electron Microscope serviced and working at work, and Ive been "trained". I had a small window yesterday to have a play with some old coins :D
Probably the highlight of the week, which until I actually sat down and got that first image, Id been dreading, after being told repeatedly how expensive different bits were (10s of thousands of £ for different components) and how easy it is to break some of them!
Im loving the detail even at low power, theres something just so cool about the images, I mean, x35 mag isnt much, you can get higher power magnifying glasses for less than a tenner, but its just the detail on them and how the images are made which is so cool. Theres also the fact that next week Im hoping on getting images at, I dunno, maybe x1000 magnification, or maybe even x2000 :D
Coin 1, x200
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5085557113_9232e7eaf7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085557113/)
Coin SEM tests (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085557113/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Coin 1, x35
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5085423479_3e870d7d74.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085423479/)
SEM Coin Test 35x Magnification (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085423479/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Coin 2, x200
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5086154980_4ddb1ccef2.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5086154980/)
Coin SEM tests (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5086154980/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Coin 2, x35
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5085557475_ac39cbfac8.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085557475/)
Coin SEM tests (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5085557475/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Those darker rectangles on the x35 mag images are actually electron beam contamination from where I was scanning the coin at the higher magnifications. So cool...
Was playing around with it again. Slowly getting there. The last few times I used it (my first 2 times) I was getting to about 500x mag max before I just couldnt get it to focus. This time I managed to get to 2000x fairly well. I need to check a few things but I think I need to basically leave the thing on and running overnight to warm up and balance out, as it seems the longer I am using it the better the max magnification I can get at the end. The SEM I am using is near 20 years old I think :D
The images below are of the same spot, zooming in.
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/5102579205_36e0fa680d.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102579205/)
Coin 35x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102579205/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1376/5102579011_2ba059ac7e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102579011/)
Coin 50x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102579011/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/5102578769_96d4d3beaa.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578769/)
Coin 100x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578769/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/5102578501_2bbf672981.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578501/)
Coin 200x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578501/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1121/5102578221_bebe8bd920.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578221/)
Coin 500x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102578221/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1187/5103171198_eb04a948bf.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5103171198/)
Coin 1000x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5103171198/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Im pretty chuffed you can actually make stuff out at 2000x mag, its 1 order of magnitude more than my previous attempt. After this I just took the images to demonstrate the focus drop off.
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1322/5102577577_c5646fd72c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577577/)
Coin 2000x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577577/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1201/5102577387_fab32e08be.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577387/)
Coin 5000x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577387/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/5102577149_30f7f38dda.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577149/)
Coin 10 000x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5102577149/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/5103170302_390d4f28be.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5103170302/)
Coin 20 000x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5103170302/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
More microscopic goodness. This time I was testing out some camera adapters on the different microscopes at uni.
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1173/5120814293_2324366997.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120814293/)
Microscope camera attachment test - coin 10x mag (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120814293/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/5121418286_66fc6c370d.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121418286/)
Microscope camera attachment test - coin 20x mag (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121418286/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/5121419746_f26349c7b7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121419746/)
Microscope camera attachment test - coin 30x mag (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121419746/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/5120818301_eb7de51210.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120818301/)
Microscope camera attachment test - coin 40x mag (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120818301/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1371/5121436728_5974bc88d8.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121436728/)
Wren feather 40x magnification (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121436728/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/5121434666_071720fdb9.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121434666/)
Wren feather 100x magnification (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5121434666/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/5120832303_7fa89607a4.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120832303/)
Wren feather 400x magnification (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5120832303/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
When works getting a bit slow, and boring, and youre left wondering what to do...its so awesome to remember you were told that the SEM needs running every now and again to keep things ticking over...all I can say is an SEM and insects = AWESOME.
Dung beetle head at ~35x magnification
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5258943516_9bd90181e2.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258943516/)
"Luke, I am your father" - Scanning Electron Micrograph of Geotrupes sp. head (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258943516/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Think this was 100x, or maybe 50x
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5258347859_6a827b27b9.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258347859/)
Scanning Electron Micrograph of Geotrupes sp. head (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258347859/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
And the hairs near the eye at 500x. Contrast starts to go out the window here as the carbon coating that had to be applied wasnt that great so the sample wasnt 100% conductive, resulting in electron interference when I started to go to stupid magnifications...it looked like it was on fire :D
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5258349899_10045a4cbd.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258349899/)
Scanning Electron Micrograph of Geotrupes sp. head (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5258349899/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
that
is
so
cool
Any of those three could make a very cool wallpaper, its almost surreal
The entomologist at uni said about doing some false colour ones and making a calendar...which has got me thinking that it might actually be a cool little project to see about putting together a School calendar for next year (not 2011 as theyre already out, but either 2012 or the 2011-2012 academic year)
Certainly I think its looking like I might be able to get some images that are useable from the SEM, but I think a calendar would be best with a mix of things from the different departments. Will probably mention it tomorrow or at the xmas lunch on Wed :D
I really want to do an ant now though, but finding one at this time of the year is going to be tricky...
Some more macros. This time a badly carbon coated fly. As a result of the bad coating at some point when trying to image the flies anus I think I managed to singe it, which is a great thing to put on a CV :D
Distortions and over-exposed bits are from the electrons charging the sample. The carbon coating is meant to make the sample conductive so that the electron beam can flow directly at it, making secondary electrons get emitted. Non-conductive samples repel the electrons causing either distortions, or an accumulating charge in the sample...
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5270884197_604f0b77ec.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5270884197/)
Badly carbon coated fly head, 100x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5270884197/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/5271498304_6fb5a0f674.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271498304/)
Badly carbon coated fly head, 50x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271498304/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5271497656_09f335d656.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271497656/)
Badly carbon coated fly mouth parts, 500x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271497656/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5271494878_cce51f01a4.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271494878/)
Badly carbon coated fly eyes, 500x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271494878/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/5271501452_a4ac7325c9.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271501452/)
Badly carbon coated fly wing, 100x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271501452/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5271499972_50d5e7c5d0.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271499972/)
Badly carbon coated fly leg, 200x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271499972/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5271502998_a1efa631df.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271502998/)
Badly carbon coated fly, 200x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5271502998/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I think I need to look in to use the Gold/Palladium alloy coater rather than the carbon coater, which will be a world of fun :D