This course was developed by popular demand for folks starting out in electron microscopy (think research laboratories, universities, and nanotechnology centers) who have always wondered "how does this actually work."
The goal is to give you hands-on demonstrations and pertinent theory that will serve you your whole scientific career.
What Makes This Program Unique?
The huge amount of hands-on experience from your instructors makes this program fairly unique.
We will lean away from theory and when theory is discussed we shall always attempt to tie it into why! That is, theory will be motivated by a real world need.
And you will hear stories and real world learning lessons from actual assembly line or hospital problems solved with these techniques.
Course Format
This course will be offered onsite and via webinar. Webinars will be recorded and made available to all registered participants (along with additional course resources) via OSU Canvas.
Two options for participation:
Onsite or Hybrid: learn onsite from experts with some time for hands on learning or via webinar. Limited to 15 participants.
Webinar only: join each week via webinar.
Course Overview
The course will cover essential topics for a deeper understanding of electron microscopy, making it fundamental to your career destination.
Roughly the first 45 minutes of class is a semi-informal lecture with a small break then a 30-minute demonstration of topics from lecture.
Many topics for the hands-on electron microscopist will be discussed and questions taken during the lecture!
You'll learn the following electron microscopy topics:
vacuum pumps and vacuum science
electron sources
creation of a fine beam with apertures and crossover (spot size explained)
focus and “stigmation” in the SEM, X-ray analysis including monte-carlo simulations of x-ray volume
sample prep for SEM including coating systems and why we coat
sample prep for TEM both for materials science and biology
focus in the TEM
STEM EDS and STEM EELS in the TEM
Hands-On Science
When we can’t demonstrate topics with the electron beam optics analogies will be used.
One example is source size will be discussed using tungsten flashlight bulbs vs LED flashlight and this will be tied to the sources in modern SEM and TEM.
Another optics analogy will be the use of a low power laser and to show how to clean up the beam for maximum resolution using small apertures and lenses to underfill and overfill the aperture.
Peter Eschbach has 35 years broad background in optics, lasers, surface science, and electron microscopy. Education is Ph.D. in Materials Science hands on education is 35 years of solving problems at PNNL, HP and now OSU.
Rebecca Jackson
Rebecca Jackson is the Assistant Director of the OSU Electron Microscopy facility and has12 plus years electron microscopy experience. Her formal training was a B.S. in psychology followed by an AA degree in Electron Microscopy from Delta College. Rebecca had 10 years experience preparing biological samples for electron microscopy at U of Texas Southwestern medical school. And now two years experience training students and doing TEM sample prep at OSU for a variety of biological clients: fisheries, plant pathologists, virologists. She is an expert in ultra microtomy, the art of cross sectioning very small biological samples with a diamond knife.
Past Students' Work
Take a look at some recent projects our students have created.
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