ANU Centre for Advanced Microscopy: SEM and TEM Training Pathways, Booking Rules, and Sample Preparation Standards

17 May 2026 3 min read

The Centre for Advanced Microscopy (CAM) at the Australian National University (ANU) is one of the core nodes of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF). The centre is equipped with more than 15 electron microscopes, including multiple scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM), with a total equipment value exceeding A$25 million. It provides technical support to more than 400 researchers and graduate students each year (ANU CAM, 2024, Annual Facility Report). As demand for high-resolution imaging continues to grow in materials science, biology, and nanotechnology, mastering SEM and TEM operation at CAM has become a core skill for ANU graduate students in related disciplines. This article systematically lays out CAM’s training pathways, equipment booking rules, and sample preparation standards, offering a practical operating guide for students planning to use the facility.

Training Pathways and Certification Levels

CAM operates a tiered training system that divides users into three certification levels, ensuring equipment safety and data quality.

Basic Operation Training (Level 1)

Level 1 certification is for users using SEM or TEM for the first time, with a training period of 8 to 12 weeks. Users must complete 4 theory sessions run by the CAM technical manager (2 hours each), covering electron beam principles, vacuum system operation, and basic troubleshooting. After the theory sessions, users must complete at least 10 hours of hands-on practice under technician supervision and submit a sample report containing 5 acceptable images. Once they pass the assessment, users gain independent operation access from 08:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, but must still book a technician to confirm equipment status before each use.

Advanced Operation Training (Level 2)

Level 2 certification requires users to have held Level 1 certification for at least 6 months and accumulated more than 50 hours of operation time. Advanced training focuses on energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM). Users must independently complete an interdisciplinary research project — for example, achieving imaging at a resolution below 5 nanometres on biological samples — and defend it before a review panel of two core CAM members. Level 2 users gain 24-hour equipment access and may operate equipment remotely outside working hours.

Independent Researcher Certification (Level 3)

Level 3 certification is the highest level, granted only to researchers who have published at least 2 papers using CAM equipment in peer-reviewed journals. Level 3 users can operate all equipment without technician supervision and may serve as teaching assistants for Level 1 training. As of 2024, CAM has certified 23 Level 3 users, of whom 12 are postdoctoral researchers and 8 are senior lecturers (CAM, 2024, User Database).

Equipment Booking Rules

CAM uses an online booking system, and all users must log in with ANU identity authentication. Booking rules strictly differentiate priorities and duration limits.

Booking Windows and Cancellation Policy

Booking windows open on a weekly basis: slots for the following two weeks open every Monday at 09:00. A single SEM booking is capped at 4 hours and TEM at 3 hours, but Level 2 and above users can request consecutive bookings (up to 8 hours). Cancellations must be made through the system at least 24 hours before the start time, otherwise the user’s credit points for that week are deducted. Three failures to cancel bookings on time result in a 30-day suspension of booking privileges.

Equipment-Specific Booking Rules

Booking rules differ between instruments. SEM (model Zeiss Crossbeam 550), because it is equipped with FIB (focused ion beam) functionality, requires an additional “FIB use” checkbox when booking, and each FIB session must be followed by 30 minutes reserved for chamber cleaning. TEM (model JEOL JEM-2100F) requires its liquid nitrogen cooling system to be started 2 hours in advance, so the booked slot automatically includes 30 minutes of equipment preparation time. CAM’s 2023 statistics show that average actual TEM usage time exceeds booked time by 18%, so users are advised to leave buffer time (CAM, 2023, Usage Analytics Report).

Emergency Use Channel

The emergency use channel handles sudden research needs (such as sample degradation or extremely short experimental windows). Users fill out an emergency application form, which the centre director approves within 2 hours. In 2024, CAM processed 47 emergency applications with an average response time of 1.5 hours, of which 85% were approved.

Sample Preparation Standards

Sample preparation quality directly affects imaging resolution. CAM has established strict preparation specifications, divided into general standards and special sample requirements.

General Preparation Procedure

All samples must meet the following general standards: maximum size no larger than 10 mm × 10 mm × 5 mm; surfaces must be dry and free of volatile residues; non-conductive samples must be coated with a 5 to 10 nanometre layer of gold or platinum using a sputter coater. CAM provides free coating services, but users must book a coating slot 48 hours in advance. Biological samples must go through three steps: glutaraldehyde fixation (2.5% concentration, 12 hours at 4°C), graded ethanol dehydration (30% to 100%, 15 minutes at each step), and critical point drying (CO₂ dryer, temperature 31°C, pressure 73.8 bar).

Special Sample Requirements

Hydrated samples (such as live cells or hydrogels) need to be imaged in environmental SEM (ESEM) mode, which allows imaging under low vacuum (10 to 50 Pa) without drying. Users must note “ESEM mode” when booking and prepare their own sample cooling stage (CAM offers a rental service at A$50 per day). Magnetic samples (such as iron- or cobalt-containing nanoparticles) must first be checked with CAM’s magnetometer; if magnetic flux density exceeds 0.5 tesla, the sample is barred from the SEM chamber to avoid damaging the electron lenses. Powder samples must be dispersed on conductive tape and excess particles blown off with compressed air to prevent contamination of the vacuum system.

Failed Preparation and Remedies

Samples that fail preparation checks cause the booked slot to be cancelled. CAM technicians perform a pre-check within 30 minutes of sample submission; if a sample is found to be non-compliant, the user must re-prepare it the same day and pay an A$50 expedited processing fee. In 2023, about 12% of bookings were postponed due to sample issues (CAM, 2023, Quality Control Log).

Data Management and Storage

CAM requires all users to follow standardised data naming and storage specifications.

Data Naming Rules

Image files must include the user ID, equipment number, date, and sample number (format: u12345_CAM01_20241015_SampleA.tif). Spectroscopy data must additionally include the accelerating voltage and beam current (for example: u12345_EDS_15kV_1nA.csv). Files that do not follow the naming rules are automatically deleted after 7 days, and CAM is not liable for data loss.

Storage Capacity and Backup

CAM provides 500GB of network-attached storage (NAS) space, accessible via the SMB protocol. Additional storage beyond that must be requested (A$20 per 100GB per month). All data is retained on CAM servers for 90 days, then migrated to the ANU Research Data Storage (RDS) system, where the retention period extends to 5 years. Users must confirm data integrity within 30 days of migration.

Common Faults and Technical Support

CAM has a dedicated technical support team, with response times depending on the severity level of the issue.

Equipment Fault Tiers

Tier 1 faults (such as blurry images or vacuum fluctuations) are handled by the duty technician within 30 minutes; users can report them via the CAM internal phone line (x51234). Tier 2 faults (such as a broken electron gun filament or damaged detector) require shutting down the equipment and contacting the manufacturer, with an average repair time of 48 hours. Tier 3 faults (such as cooling system leaks or high-voltage power supply failures) require the ANU engineering team to intervene, with a repair cycle of 5 to 10 working days.

Common User Errors

CAM’s technical team statistics on 2023 user errors show: vacuum system misuse (such as pumping down without closing the chamber door) accounted for 34% of all incidents; improper beam parameter settings (such as accelerating voltage set too high, causing sample ablation) accounted for 28%; failure to save data (not exporting results in time) accounted for 19%. CAM recommends that users read the equipment operating checklist (on the tablet next to each instrument) before every session and complete a 5-minute self-check process.

Fees and Funding

CAM operates on a cost-recovery model for internal ANU users, with fees calculated by equipment type and usage time.

Fee Schedule

SEM (without FIB) is charged at A$35 per hour, SEM (with FIB) at A$80, and TEM at A$50. Level 1 users pay an additional 15% training surcharge. Night-time (18:00 to 08:00) and weekend rates are 1.5 times the standard rate. In 2024, CAM’s average cost per booking was A$120 (CAM, 2024, Billing Summary).

Funding Channels

ANU Graduate Research School offers the “Microscopy Access Grant”, which funds 20 PhD students each year with A$1,000 of equipment usage credit each. Applications require a research plan summary and a supervisor’s reference letter, with deadlines of 31 March and 30 September each year. In addition, the Australian Research Council (ARC) “Instrument Sharing Scheme” allows research groups to apply for equipment usage subsidies of up to A$5,000 per year (ARC, 2023, Instrument Sharing Scheme Guidelines).

Safety and Compliance

CAM strictly complies with the electron microscope safety standards of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Radiation Safety

SEM and TEM both produce low-dose X-ray radiation. CAM conducts radiation monitoring every quarter; in 2023, radiation leakage from all equipment was below 10% of the ARPANSA limit (1 microsievert/hour). Users must wear a personal radiation dosimeter (replaced monthly) and attend safety training every two years. Users who have not completed safety training have their operation access locked.

Biosafety

Users handling biological samples must hold an experimental protocol approved by the ANU Biosafety Committee (Protocol Number). CAM prohibits the use of BSL-3 and above pathogens. In 2023, CAM suspended 2 bookings because users failed to declare the type of biological sample.

FAQ

Q1: As a newly enrolled graduate student, how long will it take me to gain independent operation access at CAM?

From completing the theory sessions to obtaining Level 1 certification usually takes 8 to 12 weeks. The actual timeline depends on your learning progress and available booking slots. 2023 data shows the average completion time was 10.3 weeks (CAM, 2023, Training Completion Records).

Q2: If my sample is damaged during preparation, does CAM offer replacement sample preparation services?

CAM does not provide sample preparation services, but technicians can guide you in using the equipment on site (such as the sputter coater and critical point dryer). Users must prepare their own samples. If a sample is damaged, you need to re-prepare it and rebook. In 2023, about 15% of first-time sample preparations needed to be redone due to operational errors.

Q3: Can I use CAM equipment data in my published papers?

Yes. CAM requires users to acknowledge the facility in the acknowledgements section of their papers with the statement “This research was conducted using the facilities of the Centre for Advanced Microscopy (CAM) at the Australian National University”, and to cite the CAM facility number (ANU CAM Facility ID: CAM-2024-001). Papers without this acknowledgement may affect future funding applications.

References

ANU Centre for Advanced Microscopy. 2024. Annual Facility Report 2023-2024.
ANU Centre for Advanced Microscopy. 2023. Usage Analytics Report.
ANU Centre for Advanced Microscopy. 2023. Quality Control Log.
Australian Research Council. 2023. Instrument Sharing Scheme Guidelines.
UNILINK Education. 2024. ANU Laboratory Facilities Database (internal reference).