Week+of+Sep+22


 * Sep 22, Monday**

Today, I operated the SEM with Dr. L again since I could not get any images on Thursday. But we could not get images today, again. So here's some observations and analysis for today's experiment.

- After we turned off the D.P. the operation light was still on. I think it's probably because Diffusion Pump is not completely cooled off yet. - Operation light went off approximately 3-4 mins after we turned off the D.P. Even though the operation light was off, we waited for app 15 mins for D.P. to be cooled off thoroughly. - For the very last step of shutting down the SEM, we have to be really careful of the orders. ""Trip off or unplug the power strip"" comes before than pushing the Rotary Pump Leak Valve. We pushed the Rotary pump leak value ( I didn't recognize we had an another step before that we had a prior step because it was written in small by pencil) and it didn't quite work. Because the hissing sound supposed to be end after 3-5 sec but it never happened and the number on the Rotary Pump went crazy and we saw the smog coming up..... BE CAREFUL.. FOLLOW THE EXACT STEP AND OPEN YOUR EYES BIG! - we might have a condenser problem. Because we did not have any change by adjusting the condenser. We at least expect the brightness would be changing but it didn't apparently. - Contrast when we adjusted the contrast, the TV monitor screen changed. We had some myriad of little black dots or very clear screen ( no black dots at all) by adjusting the contrast level. -Focus Also, we wondered is there any problem with focus because the focus button thingy was very loose, different from emission control or condenser, or contrast. It just spinned uncontrollably even though when we touch the focus control slightly. So we even had to try to make it as a center by spinning focus control 10 times at right, and 5 times back to left. -Magnification I wondered whether or not we can adjust the magnification level. In the manual, it says that set the magnification level at 20x-100x at first before we turn on the operation switch. But I was curious that the change in magnification level would make a difference of getting images, if we can adjust the magnification level beyond 20x-100x. ( well. come to think of it, I think we'll get definitely a bigger image when we have higher level of magnification, but I just wondered if we can set the level beyond of what is described in the manual.) -4 alignment screws Also known as gun alignment screws, we had to adjust the 4 screws in order to adjust the brightness of the TV screen but it didn't t make any changes so I wonder if this could be an another problem.

-Specimen Well.. Thursday I made the specimen directly on to the black sponge but I guess I better should have not done that for now. So Dr. L made another specimen with the wires placed on the metal thing on the sponge... But I wonder why that I cannot make the specimen right on to the sponge.... Is it because we might have a distraction? I might ask Dr. L on Thursday. :)