Probe Stations Probe Stations Contact Information:   Faculty Contact:   Aaron Hawkins   Staff Contact:   Joe Bussio   Student Contact:   Jim Fraser Maintenance Request for Probe Station

There are two probe stations at the BYU Cleanroom. One is in the cleanroom itself, near the entrance, and the other is in the yellow room next to the cleanroom.

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3. Cleanroom Probe Station

   1. Getting Started

      1.     
      2. Turn on the stage driver by pressing the yellow "Power On" button on the box located on the right side of the station.
      3. Turn on the microscope with the black "Power" switch on the box located on the left side of the station.

   2. Operating the Microscope

      1. 
      2. 1) The combined knobs immediately behind the microscope are the focus knobs. The big knob is coarse focus, and the small knob is fine focus.
      3. 2) The knob behind the focus moves the microscope side-to-side.
      4. 3) The next knob back moves the microscope forward and backward.
      5. 4) The small knobs between the eyepieces and the lenses are 1x-2x variable magnification.
      6. 5) The dial immediately below the eyepieces varies the distance between them.
      7. 6) Each eyepiece rotates at its base to independently adjust the focus (so you can remove your glasses).
      8. 7) The short aluminum shaft on the left side of the microscope varies the amount of light sent to the sample.
      9. 8) The dial on the box on the left side of the microscope also varies the microscope lighting.
      10. 9) If your required focus point is beyond the range of the focus knobs, the small knob immediately underneath the "Motor Stage Drive" box raises and lowers the entire microscope assembly.

   3. Operating the Stage

      1. 
      2. 1) The big knobs low in front move the stage in X. If the knob slips and doesn't move the stage, try moving both at once, or move the plastic chain manually.
      3. 2) The smaller knobs move the stage in Y.
      4. 3) The controller box on the right side of the station has buttons to move the stage in both X and Y, and at high speed. It is mostly useful for coarse movements.
      5. 4) The knob in front of the stage provides coarse rotation. The smaller knob mounted on it screws to prevent coarse rotation.
      6. 5) The black metal that knob 4 is mounted on rotates to provide fine rotation control.

   4. Operating the Probes

      1. 
      2. 1) The probes are mounted on magnets, so they can be mounted anywhere on the metal platform around the stage.
      3. 2) There are three knobs on each probe. They move it in x, y, and z.
      4. 3) The long metal arm with the black handle, located on the left side of the station, lifts the entire metal platform on which the probes sit. Be very careful with this! It is not precise enough to be a replacement for raising and lowering the probe tips when adjusting the sample. You might break a tip, or put deep gouges in you sample.

   5. Making the Electrical Connections

      1. 
      2. Plug your probe wire into any of the color-coded jacks on the side of the probe platform.
         There are identical jacks on either side of the platform, but each side is electrically independent.
      3. The back jacks are electrically connected to the front jacks according to color.
         This is where the analyzer is connected.

4. Yellow Room Probe Station

   1. Getting Started

      1. Turn on the lamp next to the probe station. This provides the light for the microscope, so make sure it illuminates the stage well.

   2. Operating the Microscope

      1. 
      2. 1) The microscope is held by the stand on the left of the probe station. This allows movement of the microscope in x, y, z, and theta.
      3. 2) The focus knob is located at the junction between the microscope and the arm that holds it.
      4. 3) There is a 0.7x-4.0x adjustable magnification that is set by rotating the collar around the microscope (with the aluminum ring with numbers on it).
      5. 4) The distance between the eyepieces is adjustable by rotating each eyepiece.
      6. 5) The end of each eyepiece can be rotated to compensate for differences in your eyes' need for correction.

   3. Operating the Stage

      1. 
      2. 1) The big knobs in the front on either side move the stage left and right.
      3. 2) The smaller knobs in the front on either side move the stage forward and backward.
      4. 3) The knob facing upward in front of the stage rotates the stage in theta.
               The smaller knob on it screws down to prevent movement.
      5. 4) The knob protruding from below the stage on an aluminum shaft can be tightened to prevent rotation of the stage by the knob described in (3). It can also be used to rotate the stage in theta.
      6. 5) The black metal extending from below the stage, on which is mounted knob (3), can be moved by hand as the fine theta control for the stage. This moves even if knob (4) is screwed tight.

   4. Operating the Probes

      1. 
      2. 1) The probes are mounted on magnets, so they can be mounted anywhere on the metal platform around the stage.
      3. 2) There are three knobs on each probe. They move it in x, y, and z.
      4. 3) The long metal arm with the black handle, located on the left side of the station, lifts the entire metal platform on which the probes sit. Be very careful with this! It is not precise enough to be a replacement for raising and lowering the probe tips when adjusting the sample. You might break a tip, or put deep gouges in you sample.

   5. Making the Electrical Connections

      1. 
      2. Plug your probe wire into any of the color-coded jacks on the side of the probe platform.
         There are identical jacks on either side of the platform, but each side is electrically independent.
      3. The back jacks are electrically connected to the front jacks according to color.
         This is where the analyzer is connected.