microscopy

Tomorrow we bake

March 14, 2015

Milly is coming along nicely.

I believe we’re over the vacuum difficulties. She’s buzzing along at a nice deep vacuum in the SPEC, INT, and GUN chambers. Last night the computer finally booted up without the dreaded CHECK VACUUM alert.

Finally, a new and excitingly different error message!
Finally, a new and excitingly different error message!

Next up will be an extended 30 hour bake session to try to revive the emitter. I don’t trust her to run the heater unattended, so I’ll be staying over at the shop to keep an eye on things.

This is the specimen chamber pressure. The gun is all the way down to 5e-11, pre-bake!
This is the specimen chamber pressure. The gun is all the way down to 5e-11 kPa, pre-bake!

Keep your fingers crossed. With any luck I might have some images to post on Sunday evening!