| Abstract: | A device has been built that allows four air-sensitive specimens to be examined in a Philips 501 scanning electron microscope (SEM) without interrupting the vacuum. The specimens are mounted onto a revolving four-faceted stage in an inert atmosphere. The sealed device is then mounted onto the goniometer substage of the SEM and interfaced with the stage rotation drive. After the microscope reaches the operating vacuum condition, the device is opened by turning the stage rotation knob. The device can be viewed with the SEM image during this operation. The same mechanism which opens and closes the device also rotates the four-faceted sample mount to the desired specimen. The x and y translations of the SEM sub-stage are used to move the specimen in the imaging plane. The operation of this device was tested with polyolefin catalysts which are extremely air-sensitive. The main advantage of this device is that it allows air-sensitive specimens to be routinely examined without compromising the other uses of the SEM. Specimens mounted on this device can be viewed from 0 to ± 90° tilt. With a minor adaption, this device can be used to view the total 360° surface of a specimen in a manner similar to that described by Herrmann (1979). |
