Hitachi announces the SU8200 – a new type of cold field emitter SEM 

Hitachi High-Technologies announces the worldwide release of the new SU8200 series FE-SEMs – a range of high-performance instruments which provides the perfect fusion of high resolution  imaging and analysis. Employing a new type of cold field emission (CFE) gun the SU8200 combines the inherent high resolution and brightness of conventional CFE with previously unseen beam stability and probe currents.

The latest trends in advanced materials research mean increasing requirements to image and analyse light-element and beam-sensitive materials such as those used in lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, catalysts or novel electronic devices.  Characterising these modern materials requires extended SEM capabilities beyond pure resolution.  Quality imaging at low and ultra-low acceleration voltages is critical to mitigate beam damage and reveal the true material properties. Highly sensitive elemental analysis is also required to fully understand the materials. The SU8200 addresses these needs better than any previous instrument.

The heart of the new SU8200 series is the innovative CFE source.  This novel CFE gun employs a new vacuum system and a Hitachi patented technique to greatly reduce gas molecule deposition on the emitter tip. The emitter always operates in a “clean” state, and emission current and beam stability are significantly improved. The result is the ultimate SEM electron source offering high S/N ratio, high stability and incredible resolution performance at all accelerating voltages. The enhanced stability and probe current provides opportunities for enhanced low voltage elemental microanalysis. The SU8200 series supports a variety of large-diameter silicon drift detectors (SDDs) for high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, and high speed X-ray detection. 

The new dual-in-lens detector system offers the most sensitive and flexible electron detection system available.  Fine contrast differentiation is now achieved by selectively filtering inelastic scattered electrons and directly detecting specific energy back scattered electrons.  This selective filtering is particularly powerful for enhancing material contrast at low acceleration voltages. 

Careful attention to detail during the instrument design, including measures for vibration control and enhanced optical stability contribute to the high resolution performance.

The SU8200 series includes three models (SU8220, SU8230, and SU8240) offering various stage, chamber and detector configurations for a wide range of imaging and analytical applications.

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