My new dual-beam SEM - FEI Versa 3D

As some of you have probably already heard, some time ago I got myself a FEI Versa 3D - dual-beam Schottky field-emission SEM, with EDS/EBSD detectors and platinum deposition.

This has been my dream for quite some time, and it is surreal that it is finally here.

Schottky field-emission SEM is a good middle ground (between cold field-emission and tungsten filament) - quite robust and stable, yet will require quite significant expenses for electron source maintenance. At high electron energies, Versa 3D reaches 1nm resolution, which is close to the SEM practical limit, only at low acceleration voltages it falls behind SEMs with immersion final lens (which has its own disadvantages). It has a beam deceleration / stage bias option, which gives quite a lot of flexibility. The only missing feature is a low-vacuum option, but there are workarounds.

Let’s have a look:


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