Gatan 691 Precision Ion Polishing System
Argon ion thinning of samples for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
Location: Jesser Hall room 131
The Gatan 691 PIPS system is used as the final preparation step for many types of TEM samples. 3 mm disks cut from bulk materials or from embedded cross sections are thinned to less than 50 micron before argon ion milling in the FIB.
PIPS Technique Summary:
- Up to 6 kV argon ion energy
- Rotating sample to provide uniform milling
- Two ion guns for milling from top and from bottom
- Adjustable beam tilt angles from 2 to 10 degrees incident angle
- Ion milling at specific segments during sample rotation for directional ion milling and to protect the sample holder
- Suited for conductive and non-conductive samples
PIPS Features:
- Cryo attachment with liquid nitrogen for sample cooling
- Auto termination option when electron tranparency is reached
- Optical microscope with digital camera to monitor ion milling progress
Operating manuals and additional information may be found in the Sample Preparation folder on UVa's Sharepoint.