SEM - FEI Apreo VS (Irchel)

The FEI Apreo Volumescope is a scanning electron microscope equipped with a built in microtome, which is used for 3D serial block face imaging.

The Apreo is operated by the MAPS Software, which allows the automated acquisition of high resolution images from large areas in X Y and Z direction (10x10x 10 nm).

The system allows the imaging of larger areas than our focused ion beam scanning electron microscope.

MAPS is a modular software application for automated acquisition of high resolution images from large areas. (Navigate, Tile, Stitch, Correlate and Analyse Data)

MAPS allows you to:

• Acquire high resolution images over large areas
• Easily find regions of interest
• Acquire images from a sample with different settings
• Correlate data from different sources

There is a free Offline MAPS Viewer on fei.com/software/maps/ and on our virtual machines (VM). 

University Zurich, Irchel Campus, Room Y42-F-54.  

Follow this link to apply for an introduction to the microscope.

Electron column

field emssion electron source (Schottky-Emitter)

Acceleration voltage: 500 V to 30kV.

Detector Systems

Inlens: T1, T2, T3

Onlens: detachable low vacuum detector (VS-DBS)

Chamber: Everhart-Thornley type SE detector

Chamber: LVD low vacuum SE detector

Chamber: STEM detector for TEM like imaging

Chamber: retractable backscattered electron detector

The microtome is able to cut sections between 40 nm and 100 nm thickness in the chamber.

The acquired volume can be up to 500 μm x 500 μm x 500 μm large. 

Accessories

Stage: 5-axis, fully motorized stage.

Sample holder for TEM grids for STEM - mode

System controls

FEI control software.

MAPS Software

Literature and Links

Electron Microscopy, Methods and Protocols,Third Edition 2014 Series: Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 1117 Kuo, John (Ed.) ISBN: 978-1-62703-775-4

Biomedical Electron Microscopy, Illustrated Methods and Interpretations, Author(s): Arvid B. Maunsbach and Björn A. Afzelius, ISBN: 978-0-12-480610-8

Funktionelle Ultrastruktur, Atlas der Biologie und Pathologie von Geweben, Author(s): Pavelka, Margit, Roth, Jürgen, 2005 ISBN: 3-211-83563-6

Responsible Persons

If you have questions about the device please contact the responsible person.

Make sure to acknowledge the Center for Microscopy in your publication to support us.

How to acknowledge contributions of the Center for Microscopy