Hitachi Announces New Analytical Variable Pressure FESEM

Hitachi High-Technologies has announced the new SU6600 variable pressure field emission SEM, further increasing its range of high performance electron microscopes. The SU6600 is characterized by a host of features which allow rapid & accurate analysis with exceptional flexibility. Key to the performance of the SU6600 is the combination of the advanced new electron gun and novel vacuum control system.

The newly developed Schottky field emission electron gun can deliver in excess of 200 nA probe current to give outstanding analytical results with excellent stability and sensitivity. The analytical chamber allows the simultaneous accommodation of EDX, WDX and EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) systems with optimum geometry for comprehensive materials characterization.

The SU6600 also features a unique Automated Differential Aperture (ADAPT) system, which automatically inserts a differential pumping aperture for variable pressure operation – maintaining maximum flexibility in high vacuum mode and ensuring there is no manual intervention required when switching to low vacuum mode. ADAPT operates with a simple mouse click and the system is designed to ensure that there is no field of view restriction even when the aperture is in place – to aide low magnification navigation and imaging.

The highly efficient differential pumping system also ensures that the SU6600 can be operated in low vacuum mode for a whole day without gun vacuum degradation, so there is no vacuum recovery time to interrupt your work. Additionally, the standard specimen exchange chamber ensures the fastest pump down time – to enable you to spend more time on the science and less time waiting for the instrument.

Versatile imaging and measurement capabilities include Hitachi’s high-sensitivity, TV-rate 5-segment BSE detector, environmental secondary electron detector (ESED) and an automated 3-D measurement system. The 3-D measurement software enables fast 3-D visualization of the specimen along with industry standard height, area and surface roughness measurement.