Sputter Coating
Quorum Emitech K575X metal sputter coater (left) and Quorum Q150T E carbon coater (right).
CAIC uses a Quorum Emitech metal sputter coater with gold or iridium targets to sputter coat SEM specimens prior to imaging. The Quorum carbon coater uses braided cord as a carbon source and is used to render conductivity to SEM samples prior to EDX elemental analysis, but can also be used to carbon coat TEM grids or large silicon wafers (up to 4-inch wafers) for array tomography. Both are connected to an argon gas supply.