Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hillsboro, Oregon, introduces the Apreo 2 field-emission scanning electron microscope, which offers easy-to-obtain nanometer-scale information at a range of working distances and operating conditions
The Apreo 2 was designed to help investigators, SEM operators, and lab managers deliver expert results, regardless of experience level. Apreo 2 integrates Thermo Fisher’s groundbreaking ColorSEM technology, enabling researchers to view and analyze live color images directly within the SEM user interface without switching to conventional Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis software. With Apreo 2, researchers can obtain elemental data almost instantly, quickly identifying areas of interest for further exploration.
“By integrating ColorSEM into the Apreo 2, researchers can view and analyze meaningful elemental content differentiated by color directly from within the SEM, and can acquire elemental data up to ten times faster than possible with conventional techniques,” says Rosy Lee, vice president of materials science at Thermo Fisher. (The image shows “a silver-copper mix imaged on Apreo 2 with ColorSEM technology in less than a minute and a half.”)
The SEM is designed to keep itself always aligned and ready to image with improved stability and SmartAlign automation, allowing researchers to focus on their sample work, not on the microscope. In addition, the Apreo 2 features new auto-focus, auto-stigmator, and auto-lens alignment technology – each intended to reduce the need for training and enable any user to obtain high-quality results.
Apreo 2 is the first SEM on the market with a 1.0-nanometer resolution at a 10-millimeter working distance. This allows users to acquire high-quality images without worrying about microscope components colliding or damaging the sample. High-resolution imaging at long working distance also enables users to pair the best imaging conditions with optimized analytical data collection.
