CEITEC NANO TESCAN MIRA3 SEM Quick Start Manual

This guide obtains just brief information. Extended version with advisory images is available in the instrument folder
and in the instrument computer. In case you need detailed instructions, read chapter "Getting Started" in TESCAN
MIRA3 manual. It is recommended to read the Safety Instruction and Basic Troubleshooting manual prior to your work.
1. Turn on the SEM monitors. Left screen is for SEM, right screen is for EDS. Both monitors and computers are
interconnected via Mouse without Borders software.
2. Type your username and password in MiraTC - Log in screen. Wait until self-test is done. Contact the guarantor
immediately if an error occurs.
3. Vent the microscope by using the VENT button on the Vacuum panel.Wait until the pressure is at the
atmospheric level and sound of N2 infill stops. Chamber door should be opened by N2 pressure.
pressure should be always in green status. If not, contact the guarantor immediately!
4. Select the position for uploading your sample by clicking on the appropriate number button on the carousel in
the Stage Control panel.
Wear gloves while manipulating inside the SEM chamber and with samples!
the samples until carousel fully stops its motion. Carefully open the chamber door and load your sample.
5. Carefully close the chamber door and press PUMP button on the Vacuum panel. Wait until pressure indicator
bar turns from red to green.
6. Click on the appropriate number button on the carousel in the Stage Control panel where you have placed your
sample to move it under the SEM objective.
7. Click on the BEAM ON button on the Electron Beam panel to turn the electron beam on.
NOTE: The emission is always running but the gun is physically separated from the chamber and the column
when these are vented to maintain the high vacuum of the gun.
The button is active only if the Column and Chamber pressure bars are green.
8. Magnify and focus properly on your specimen to lock the working distance (WD&Z). Use Degauss
function to be sure you stay in focus. If not, repeat the procedure. Magnify at least to 10kx and repeat the
focusing procedure.
9. Go to WD 9 mm using WD&Z function in the Stage Control panel. It is recommended to move in two or three
steps when the change in WD is large. Place the cursor at Stop button and watch the Chamber View (IR
camera) when the stage is moving. Hit the Stop button immediately when it seems there might be a collision!
10. Choose HV you will use: select HV in the Info Panel and type desired value of the accelerating voltage (e.g. 20
kV) to Pad panel.
11. Check that you are in RESOLUTION scan mode and you are using SE detector (Uncheck the Continual Wide Field
function).
12. In the case you have chosen voltage different than 2, 5, 10 or 20 kV: Check there is no charging or Faraday cup
in your image or move to ADJ sample or clean SEM stub, focus properly and set the minimum magnification. In
the Electron beam panel click on Adjustment >>> and choose Auto gun centering function. It will take approx.
3 minutes to finish the procedure.
13. Click on Spot Size: in the Info Panel and type 0 value to the Pad panel. Minimum spot size and optimum beam
intensity will be set automatically for current HV and WD.
14. Placing the cursor over the SEM Scanning window and clicking the mouse wheel move area of interest into the
centre of the image.
Version 1.3, Created/Updated: 20.4.2020 by Petr Lepcio, petr.lepcio@ceitec.vutbr.cz
Co-authors: Marek Zbončák, Tomáš Šamořil, Vojtěch Švarc
Approved:
TESCAN MIRA3 SEM
Getting SEM Image
The gun
Do not touch the carousel or load