Hummingbird Scientific’s SEM liquid system encloses the sample within a microfabricated liquid cell in the holder tip, which is sealed from the microscope chamber environment by a patented sealing mechanism. The liquid pump and any external electrical hardware, like a potentiostat or sample heating controller, are located safely outside of the chamber. A customizable SEM chamber interface and vacuum sealed supply system provide liquid and power to the tip. Using Hummingbird’s two-chip fluid cell, users can prepare their sample of choice using the same methods they would for any other electron transparent membrane substrate. The tip can be swapped between light microscopes, the X-ray microscope, the SEM, and the TEM for cross-correlative studies.

The holder’s liquid-cell assembly and operating procedures protect your SEM’s vacuum system from contamination and damage during experimentation. Interchangeable tips and replaceable tubing allow researchers to perform controlled and cross-contamination-free experiments and to easily upgrade the system to incorporate new capabilities. Each system comes with an SEM-specific seal-checking station, which checks the entire system from port flange to tip before inserting the cell into the microscope’s vacuum chamber.