Laboratory for microscopy

The Laboratory for Electron and Optical Microscopy at ZRC SAZU, operating since 2016, is designed to be highly multidisciplinary, serving fundamental and applied research conducted by researchers in the fields of paleontology, geology, karstology, archaeology, botany, zoology, microbiology, and some areas of humanities.

The core of the laboratory consists of one of the most advanced models of compact yet versatile scanning electron microscopes, the JEOL JSM-IT100. The model configuration is full (all-in-one): the microscope operates in both high vacuum (HV) and low vacuum (LV) modes, equipped with a conventional secondary electron detector (SED), a backscattered electron detector (BED) for topographic, compositional, and shadow surface observation, an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector for qualitative and quantitative elemental chemical analysis, a secondary electron detector for low vacuum (LV SED), and a cathodoluminescence detector Jeol/Gatan Mini CL with a photomultiplier (CLD). The SEM can be fully controlled by a computer, with a touch screen, keyboard, and mouse, or with a traditional control panel. The software includes a package for 3D image analysis and surface roughness measurement.

An integral part of the electron microscopy system, particularly for sample preparation for elemental analysis with EDS, is the JEOL JEC-530 carbon coater, used for depositing thin conductive carbon films on samples, especially on polished sections that can be analyzed under high vacuum and also examined under an optical microscope in transmitted light. The device's chamber allows for coating large samples with a diameter of up to 120 mm.

The laboratory is also equipped with the Olympus BX51 TRF-6 and Olympus BX53 optical polarizing microscopes with a dual light source, designed for investigations in transmitted and reflected light. It has a trinocular tube, a standard set of objectives for petrographic examinations, and a rotating stage. The microscopes are equipped with SC-50 and DP23 digital cameras, connected to a personal computer with Stream 1.9 software.

The "Laboratory for Microscopy at ZRC SAZU" operation is partially financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport. The operation is carried out within the framework of the Operational Program for Strengthening Regional Development Potentials for the period 2007-2013, in the developmental priority of "Economic Development Infrastructure" and the specific objective of "Educational-Research Infrastructure."