Design and Construction of an Underground TEM Lab at Brigham Young University

The environment in which a TEM is installed is critical to the performance of the instrument. Among many concerns is the interference that can be caused by existing mechanical or acoustical vibrations, electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and thermal fluctuations[1]. Studies have shown various techniques that can be employed to reduce or eliminate the external interference[2]. In 2003 Brigham Young University completed the construction of a TEM facility. The installation of the microscopes (FEI, models Tecnai F30 & Tecnai F20 EFTEM) was completed in July of 2004. The facility was designed to meet or exceed the specifications from the microscope and other equipment manufacturers. This work will report on the design and construction of the facility and include a discussion of the measured effectiveness of both the well-known and the not-so-well-known procedures for eliminating the ambient disturbances.