July 14, 2012. JEOL at Semicon West introduced a new NeoScope scanning electron microscope (SEM), which offers higher magnification than the original NeoScope bench-top version, introduced in 2008. The company reports that the original version has been used for inspection of electronic parts, forensics analysis, pharmaceutical inspection, and imaging insects for student projects. It has also been used in conjunction with both optical microscopes and traditional SEMs in the lab.
As simple to use as a digital camera, the NeoScope is a high resolution SEM that produces images with a large depth of field at magnifications ranging from 10X to 60,000X. It features both high and low vacuum operation, three selectable accelerating voltages, and secondary electron and backscattered electron imaging. The NeoScope accommodates samples up to 70 mm in diameter and 50 mm in thickness. Both conductive and non-conductive samples can be examined. Optional EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) is available for elemental analysis.
An additional new feature of the NeoScope SEM is touch-screen interface with the familiar look and feel of today's smart phones and touch pads. Automatic functions as well as pre-stored recipe files make it easy to use for a multitude of sample types. Any skill level of user can meak use of the SEM's simplicity and fast operation, from sample loading to imaging in vacuum in less than three minutes.
The company also said its new series of field emission scanning electron microscopes is now complete with the May 31 introduction of the sub-nanometer imaging resolution JSM-7800F. JEOL's highest performance FE-SEM makes it possible to observe the finest structural morphology of nanomaterials at 1,000,000X magnification with sub-1-nm resolution; perform low-kV imaging and analysis of highly magnetic samples; collect large area EBSD maps at low magnifications without distortion; and image thin, electron transparent samples with sub-0.8-nm resolution using an optional retractable STEM detector.