Overview of the EM-Tec SEM sample mounts and stubs


  SEM sample stubs SEM pin stub Ø12.7 diameter top, standard pin, aluminium SEM pin stub Ø19 diameter top, standard pin, aluminium SEM pin stub Ø12.7 diameter top, with flat, standard pin, aluminium SEM pin stub Ø12.7 diameter top, with flat, standard pin, aluminium Low profile SEM pin stub Ø12.7 diameter with 35° for Tescan FIBxSEM, aluminium SEM Dish pin stub, Ø12.7x7mm with 1.5mm dish depth, aluminium SEM pin stub Ø12.7 diameter + 4mm extra height, standard pin, aluminium Double 90 degree angled SEM pin stub Ø32mm diameter, standard pin, aluminium Double 45/90 degree angled SEM pin stub Ø25.4 diameter standard pin, aluminium Double 45/90 degree angled SEM pin stub Ø25.4 diameter standard pin, aluminium Hitachi M4 SEM sample stubs Hitachi Ø15x10mm M4 dish SEM sample stub, aluminium Gatan 3View system SEM pin stubs with standard Ø1.4mm flat, Ø2mm pin x12.5mm H, aluminium Hitachi Ø25x13.5mm/M6 stem pin type SEM sample stub, aluminium Hitachi In Lens sample mounts

Samples for the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) need to be mounted securely on a sample mount of sample stub. The sample mount or stub allows for optimum preparation outside the SEM.  Samples are ideally mounted on sample stubs with conductive cement of double sided conductive tape to provide a grounding path.
To examine a sample, the sample stub is placed in the stub holder on the SEM stage. It is recommended to clean the stubs and to remove hydro-carbon contamination before use (plasma or UV cleaning). For this reason it is not recommended to recycle the smaller stubs.

Standard SEM stubs
There is a large variety of SEM sample stub designs depending the brands of the SEM. To date there is no uniform SEM stub standard, although the standard pin stub is the most widely used sample stub. The 1/2” (12.7mm) pin stub was introduced by Cambridge Instruments (first commercial SEM manufacturer) and is still very much in use today.
There are four major types of SEM sample stubs:

1 – Standard pin stubs with Ø3.2x9.5mm pin
The original design was in a Ø1/2”  x 1/2” height (Ø12.7 x 12.7mm). The pin diameter is 1/8” with a height of 3/8” (3.2 x 9.5mm). The standard pin stubs are available with platform diameters from 6 to 100mm (1/4” to 4”).  Additionally, there are also angled stubs with 45º and 90º in 12.7, 25.4 and 32mm diameter and a dish type stub for solutions and fluids. There are also special low profile angled version pin stubs to enable very short working distances for SEM/FIB applications. The pin stubs are mostly made from aluminium. There are also copper, brass, stainless steel and carbon stubs available.

2 – Zeiss pin stubs with shorter pin; Ø3.2x6mm pin
The Zeiss pin stubs have a shorter pin to avoid interference with the stage mechanism. The Zeiss pin stubs are available with platform diameters from 6 to 100mm. There is less choice in special versions, but you can always modify the special pin stubs by shortening a longer pin to 6mm. The Zeiss stubs are made from aluminium.

3 – Hitachi cylinder stubs with M4 threaded hole
The Hitachi cylinder stubs with the M4 threaded hole are available in the standard diameters of 15, 25, 32, 50, 63 and 100mm with either 6 or 10mm for 15, 25 and 32mm diameter. For the Hitachi stubs there are also angled version with 45º and 90º and a dish type stub available. Standard material for the stubs is aluminium.
Specialty Hitachi stubs are the SEM mounts for the ultra high resolution (UHR) in-lens FESEMs and a stub with an M6 threaded pin which fits directly in the M6 threaded stage adapters.

4 – JEOL cylinder stubs
The JEOL cylinder stubs are available in the standard diameters of 9.5, 12.2, 25, 32 and 50mm with various height. Additionally, there are also angled JEOL stubs with 45º and 90º angles and a dish type stub for solutions and fluids. They are mainly made from aluminium, but some manufacturers offer them in brass as well.

 

Specialty SEM stubs
There is also a selection of specialty SEM sample stubs which are used in less common brands or on special SEM stages. Examples are:
               

  • ISI/ABT/Topcon cylinder stubs
  • AmRay pin stubs with the longer 16mm pin (5/8”)
  • Hitachi In-lens sample mounts for UHR FESEMs
  • Hitachi pin stubs with M6 thread for use in airlock sample exchange systems
  • Deben cool stage stubs
  • Gatan 3View pin stubs                                                   
  SEM stubs with S-clips

EM-Tec S-Clip holders; SEM stubs with S-clips
The EM-Tec S-Clip holders are mostly based on SEM sample stubs with additional spring clips to hold flat samples. They are a clean, quick and convenient alternative to conductive cement or double sticky tape.

EM-Tec SEM stub based sample holders

  EM-Tec SEM stub based sample holders
Directly after the introduction of the SEM in the 1960s, users have started to modify and enhance their SEM stubs to mount more samples, improve results and enable more applications with the SEM. The result is an impressive selection of SEM stub based, small specialised sample mounts and sample holders.  They are technically not SEM stubs, but they are all based on the same “footprint” as the SEM stubs and directly compatible with the stub SEM stub holders on the SEM stage. Examples are pre-tilted stubs, mini vise clamps, mini bulk holder and dish type sample holders. Examples of the EM-Tec small stub based holders.

SEM stub adapters

  Pin stub adapter for Hitachi M4SEM stub adapters
To enable the use of an SEM stub on a different SEM, EM-Tec offers a wide range of SEM sample stub adapters. They offer a cost-effective and practical way to use SEM stubs across different SEM platforms. The EM-Tec SEM stub adapters protect your investment in special stubs, calibration standards and valuable specimens.


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