High Resolution Sputter Coater for Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy

The objective of the NRC is to acquire a high-resolution Sputter Coater to support operations of Scanning Electron Microscopy facility of Construction Research Center. This equipment will augment the ability to image non-conductive materials and improve the functionality of the Electron Microscopy facility. Construction Research Centre of National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has high resolution cold field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The high variety of samples are being imaged with our FE-SEM, ranging from various construction materials (e.g., cement, concrete, steel, polymers) to various emerging nanomaterials. Imaging is often required to be performed at magnifications of over one hundred thousand. Scanning Electron Microscopy of non-conductive samples (such as polymers and concrete) is very challenging due to sample charging. Surface coating of nonconductive samples with a thin conductive layer can greatly facilitate the process and improve the imaging results. Conventional sputter coaters provide coarse coating which can obscure actual surface morphology, hence rendering them non satisfactory for our applications. The National Research Council requires a high-vacuum Sputter Coater which can be used with an Iridium metal target and provide extremely fine grain coating, thus granting the ability to perform high resolution microscopy.