The Digital Microscope Facility contains infrastructure and equipment for multiple research fields.

• Astronomy and Physics
• Biological and Life Sciences
• Biomedical
• Biotechnology
• Business
• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Computer Science and Software Engineering
• Engineering - Agricultural, Forest, Environmental, Mining, Mineral
• Engineering - Chemical, Nuclear, Other
• Engineering - Civil, Structural
• Engineering - Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical
• Environmental and Earth Sciences
• Geomatics and Geodesy
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Marine/Ocean Sciences
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Medical Sciences
• Psychology
• Veterinary Sciences

• Biomedical
• Biotechnology
• Aerospace and Satellites
• Agriculture, Animal Science and Food
• Arts and Cultural Industries
• Automotive
• Chemical Industries
• Clean Technology
• Construction (including Building, Civil Engineering, Specialty Trades)
• Consumer Durables
• Consumer Non-Durables
• Defense and Security Industries
• Education
• Energy (Renewable and Fossil)
• Environmental Technologies and Related Services
• Financial Services and Insurance
• Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Forestry and Forest-Based Industries
• Health Care and Social Services
• Information and Communication Technologies and Media
• Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment
• Management and Business Related Services
• Manufacturing and Processing
• Mining, Minerals and Metals
• Ocean Industries
• Policy and Governance
• Professional and Technical Services (including Legal Services, Architecture, Engineering)
• Tourism and Hospitality
• Transportation
• Utilities

Magnification and Digital Image Acquisition

• high vacuum and variable pressure modes (6 to 650 Pa)
• 3.0 nm resolution
• accelerating voltage from 0.3 to 30 kV
• magnification from x5 to x300,000
• secondary electron detectors for both high-vacuum and variable pressure
• 5-segment solid-state backscatter electron detector with 3-D, compositional and topographic modes
• live stereoscopic (3-D) imaging
• 5-axis (4 motorized) eucentric goniometer stags for specimens up to 20 cm in diameter
• digital image acquisition (up to 5120 x 3840 pixels) and storage in a variety of standard formats
• direct-to-disk real-time video capture
• infra-red chamber scope
• a full range of image processing software

Elemental Analysis and Chemical Characterization of samples

• X-Max 20 large area analytical Silicon Drift Detector (SDD; 127 eV resolution) for detection of Boron and all heavier elements
• Autocolumn
• for control of SEM functions from
• AZtec
• console
• software for qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses
• point and ID,
• linscan
• and mapping modes

To cover a specimen with a thin layer of conducting material in order to prevent charging

• High vacuum carbon coating for TEM and X-ray analysis
• Carbon support films
• Carbon platinum replicas
• Aperture cleaning
• Rotary shadowing
• Asbestos analysis
• Resistance evaporation
• Failure analysis
• High purity
• ultra thin
• films

To safely dry specimens without distortion

Drying small delicate specimines

Specimen preparation