Dr. Nicholas Rudawski of the University of Florida demonstrates the proper way to insert and extract a holder into and out of the FEI Tecnai F20 S/TEM.
Hi, I have searched for the T20 TEM manual and found your videos. I am undergoing T20 training and your videos are really helping me. To extract the holder I curl my right-hand fingers around the holder's head and I push my right-hand thumb against the purple plate. But after watching your video I learnt another method to do it. Thanks.
Hi, Although I am a user of JEOL TEM microscopes, I find your videos very useful as the general instructions on TEM alignment/data acquisition are explained comprehensively.
Thank you; I'm glad my videos are helpful to you, even though they are not done on JEOL microscopes. The JEOL user interface is a little different than FEI, but each has basically all of the same functions. Our facility actually had only JEOL S/TEMs (2) until 2017, and then we switched over and now only have FEI S/TEMs (3)! What kind of JEOL systems you do work on? The one I easily have the most experience with is the JEOL 2010F.
@@NicholasRudawski Hi, I have worked with JEOL 2010F, but at present, I am working extensively on JEOL JEM ARM 200F. Our university has only one microscope JEOL JEM ARM 200F. I have worked on JEOL microscopes all my life. So, your videos on FEI microscopes are useful to me as I am learning to know more about FEI microscopes. You are correct that the FEI interface is different JEOL interface. For e.g., in CM200/Technai you have SA mode and in JEOL 2010F/JEOL JEM ARM 220F we have MAG mode which basically is the same (i.e., the objective lens is switched ON).
@5:33 the holder is usually sucked in with force and users are trained to pull on the holder to resist and allow it to glide in gently. Could be in need of fresh o-rings or vacuum grease, but it's also the first time I'm seeing tape used on the holder to mark the line - a sharpie line does the trick.
Hi Kasun: glad you like the video. Unfortunately, I've never worked with a cryo holder so I don't have a video showing how to insert/extract one. Should that ever change in the future, a video will definitely be made to cover insertion/extraction.
i found your videos so important to us!! so grateful for you doing this. I have a trouble while extracting holder, no problem pulling, rotating. then when i have to pull again, it doesnt work well and if i pull i turn off HT and vacuum as well.. what should i do?
Hi Nomin: glad to hear my videos are helping you. Sounds like the vacuum is somehow crashing when you pull the holder at the end (second pull). Some things to check: make sure during the first pull you firmly feel the holder stop, and make sure during the rotation you also feel the holder firmly stop; make sure with your other hand (not on the holder) you are firmly pushing against the metal plate on the airlock the whole time. If you are still crashing the vacuum I would suggest checking out the O-ring on the holder shaft; check it for any dust, hairs, contamination, etc and clean, if needed, with alcohol and a lint-free cloth; then you can lightly lubricate the O-ring with high-vacuum grease. If the O-ring appears cut/dinged up I would replace with a fresh one (also lubricated). If you are still having issues, it may be a problem with the airlock itself, at which point you should contact a service technician. Best of luck.
@@NicholasRudawski Thank you for your kind advice! I have tried to remove sample holder for the first time after leaving a comment on your video. I followed exactly how you removed holder in this video. And i removed it successfully!! Again, Thank you for your effort to make these videos!
Hi Nicholas, Your videos are really helpful. I have FEI Tecnai F30 in my department. Is there a major difference in instrument operation between F20 and F30? It would be helpful if you could comment on the same. Thanks!
Hi Ravi: glad you find the videos helpful. In an operational sense, there really isn't much difference between an F20 and F30. The hardware configuration (except for the HT tank) is basically identical. Of course, the performance of the instruments will be different at the peak voltages. 300 kV operation will give better resolution than 200 kV, but will also potentially cause more beam damage. The F30 gives the flexibility to also operate at 200 kV, so it's like also having a 200 kV instrument plus a 300 kV instrument. You have to set up a separate alignment file for 200 kV (which takes about a day), but the added flexibility is usually well worth it (particularly if 300 kV operation is causing too much beam damage).
HI Nicholas I have f200i and My problem is that suddenly the lighting is always present and continuing, even if the sample holder is not present in the device in another sense. When the holder is inserted, the device does not feel it
Hi Osama: sorry to hear you are having some difficulty. Are you saying the red light on the airlock is always lit? Are you also saying that when you insert the holder you get no response from the Microscope Control software either? Even with these issues, does the airlock still get pumped out or is that also a problem?
@@osamahassan7497 It might just be a glitch with the light. As long as the pump/airlock is functioning properly, the light is otherwise there just as an indicator. If you have the instrument under service contract, I would recommend you bring this up with your service technician.
Hi Nicholas, Sometimes, I cannot successfully extract the single tilt when I screw the single tilt in the close position. During this condition, what should I do? Many Thanks! Yuechao
Hi Yuechao: sorry to hear you are having trouble. When you say you are not successful, does this mean you are crashing the vacuum or does this mean something else? Are you physically able to remove the holder from the colum?
@@yuechaoyao1660 Hi Yuechao: does your holder move at all or does it move but just not very smoothly? Sometime, it's just a matter of adding some lubrication to an O-ring on the holder shaft and that can greatly ease holder loading/unloading.
Hi, I have searched for the T20 TEM manual and found your videos. I am undergoing T20 training and your videos are really helping me. To extract the holder I curl my right-hand fingers around the holder's head and I push my right-hand thumb against the purple plate. But after watching your video I learnt another method to do it. Thanks.
You're welcome, glad you found the video useful.
Hi, Although I am a user of JEOL TEM microscopes, I find your videos very useful as the general instructions on TEM alignment/data acquisition are explained comprehensively.
Thank you; I'm glad my videos are helpful to you, even though they are not done on JEOL microscopes. The JEOL user interface is a little different than FEI, but each has basically all of the same functions. Our facility actually had only JEOL S/TEMs (2) until 2017, and then we switched over and now only have FEI S/TEMs (3)! What kind of JEOL systems you do work on? The one I easily have the most experience with is the JEOL 2010F.
@@NicholasRudawski Hi, I have worked with JEOL 2010F, but at present, I am working extensively on JEOL JEM ARM 200F. Our university has only one microscope JEOL JEM ARM 200F. I have worked on JEOL microscopes all my life. So, your videos on FEI microscopes are useful to me as I am learning to know more about FEI microscopes. You are correct that the FEI interface is different JEOL interface. For e.g., in CM200/Technai you have SA mode and in JEOL 2010F/JEOL JEM ARM 220F we have MAG mode which basically is the same (i.e., the objective lens is switched ON).
@5:33 the holder is usually sucked in with force and users are trained to pull on the holder to resist and allow it to glide in gently. Could be in need of fresh o-rings or vacuum grease, but it's also the first time I'm seeing tape used on the holder to mark the line - a sharpie line does the trick.
Hi Lee; yes you indeed correct, it's probably just a matter of adding some lubrication in the right spot.
Great video Nicholas👍. Do you also have a video about how to insert and extract cryo holder? Thanks
Hi Kasun: glad you like the video. Unfortunately, I've never worked with a cryo holder so I don't have a video showing how to insert/extract one. Should that ever change in the future, a video will definitely be made to cover insertion/extraction.
i found your videos so important to us!! so grateful for you doing this.
I have a trouble while extracting holder, no problem pulling, rotating. then when i have to pull again, it doesnt work well and if i pull i turn off HT and vacuum as well.. what should i do?
Hi Nomin: glad to hear my videos are helping you. Sounds like the vacuum is somehow crashing when you pull the holder at the end (second pull). Some things to check: make sure during the first pull you firmly feel the holder stop, and make sure during the rotation you also feel the holder firmly stop; make sure with your other hand (not on the holder) you are firmly pushing against the metal plate on the airlock the whole time. If you are still crashing the vacuum I would suggest checking out the O-ring on the holder shaft; check it for any dust, hairs, contamination, etc and clean, if needed, with alcohol and a lint-free cloth; then you can lightly lubricate the O-ring with high-vacuum grease. If the O-ring appears cut/dinged up I would replace with a fresh one (also lubricated). If you are still having issues, it may be a problem with the airlock itself, at which point you should contact a service technician. Best of luck.
@@NicholasRudawski Thank you for your kind advice!
I have tried to remove sample holder for the first time after leaving a comment on your video. I followed exactly how you removed holder in this video. And i removed it successfully!!
Again, Thank you for your effort to make these videos!
Hi Nicholas,
Your videos are really helpful. I have FEI Tecnai F30 in my department. Is there a major difference in instrument operation between F20 and F30? It would be helpful if you could comment on the same. Thanks!
Hi Ravi: glad you find the videos helpful. In an operational sense, there really isn't much difference between an F20 and F30. The hardware configuration (except for the HT tank) is basically identical. Of course, the performance of the instruments will be different at the peak voltages. 300 kV operation will give better resolution than 200 kV, but will also potentially cause more beam damage. The F30 gives the flexibility to also operate at 200 kV, so it's like also having a 200 kV instrument plus a 300 kV instrument. You have to set up a separate alignment file for 200 kV (which takes about a day), but the added flexibility is usually well worth it (particularly if 300 kV operation is causing too much beam damage).
Really informative brother..
(It is the first time I am putting a first comment for a video in RUclips :-D)
Ha ha, thank you; very flattered you decided to use your first RUclips comment on one of my videos!
HI Nicholas I have f200i and My problem is that suddenly the lighting is always present and continuing, even if the sample holder is not present in the device in another sense. When the holder is inserted, the device does not feel it
Hi Osama: sorry to hear you are having some difficulty. Are you saying the red light on the airlock is always lit? Are you also saying that when you insert the holder you get no response from the Microscope Control software either? Even with these issues, does the airlock still get pumped out or is that also a problem?
@@NicholasRudawski Thank you for replying Nicholas yes as you say the red light is always lighting but there is no proplem with air lock pumping
@@osamahassan7497 It might just be a glitch with the light. As long as the pump/airlock is functioning properly, the light is otherwise there just as an indicator. If you have the instrument under service contract, I would recommend you bring this up with your service technician.
Hi Nicholas,
Sometimes, I cannot successfully extract the single tilt when I screw the single tilt in the close position. During this condition, what should I do? Many Thanks!
Yuechao
Hi Yuechao: sorry to hear you are having trouble. When you say you are not successful, does this mean you are crashing the vacuum or does this mean something else? Are you physically able to remove the holder from the colum?
@@NicholasRudawski just crashing the vaccum. 😁
Thanks for you reply
sometimes,l cannot remove the holder as well. l am not sure what happened or what shuld l do
@@NicholasRudawski sometimes,l cannot remove the holder as well. l am not sure what happened or what shuld l do
@@yuechaoyao1660 Hi Yuechao: does your holder move at all or does it move but just not very smoothly? Sometime, it's just a matter of adding some lubrication to an O-ring on the holder shaft and that can greatly ease holder loading/unloading.