Performance of the WNRE Shielded SEM

Abstract

A new shielded scanning electron microscope (SEM) facility was installed at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment (WNRE) in 1986, and has been operating since November of that year. The instrument is an Hitachi S-570 electron microscope with a Microspec wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) spectrometer attached. A Tracor 8502 image analyser and an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) detector have since been added. The instrumentation is described and some examples are given of the types of maintenance that have been required to date. The performance will be discussed with regards to the image resolution, the capability of the WDX spectrometer, and the abilities of the image analyser.