University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Microscopy Suite Equipment

Please be aware that the ITG staff cannot respond to questions about particular pieces of equipment or software packages unless those questions are related to research conducted in the ITG laboratories. The ITG does not sell, lease, or distribute equipment or software, save that clearly marked as developed by the ITG.

The tables below list the major microscopes, ancillary equipment, and facilities available to users of the Microscopy Suite. For detailed information on each piece of equipment, please follow the hyperlinks.

The tables are divided into three categories, the relevant section of this page can be reached through the hyperlink:

Please contact The Microscopy Suite to inquire about existing equipment or to make suggestions for additional upgrades or equipment purchases. 

Microscopes

Name / Description Calendar
Clean Room Reflected Light Microscope Clean Room Scope
Zeiss AxioScope A1, 100W Hal lamp designed for UV-blocked epi-illumination, Zeiss Axiovision LE software facilitates image collection. Zeiss AxioCam ICc3 CCD digital camera.
Dissecting Light Microscope (Stereoscope) Dissecting
Zeiss SV11 stereomicroscope, Hg lamp for low-magnification fluorescence, epi-fluorescent illumination, PixeLink digital camera.
Fluorescence Light Microscope Fluorescence 
Fluorescence, phase contrast, high NA DIC.  Zeiss Axiovision software facilitates image collection.  B/W EMCCD & color CCD cameras,  Zeiss Apotome structured illumination system, mark & find, time-lapse, z-stacking, stage heater, motorized stage & automated shutters to minimize light exposure.
Micro-Spectroscopy Workstation Reflected Light
Zeiss Axio Observer D1 inverted microscope for visible to NIR spectroscopy (300-1700nm). Cooled color CCD for basic imaging, InGaAs NIR camera to image thermal and optical emission in the near-Infrared (NIR) region and single point micro-raman spectroscopy is available with 531nm laser line.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Imaging System FCS
ISS Alba FCS instrument, combined with a laser scanning module. Optimized for single-photon excitation. One 470 nm diode laser.
Stereology Workstation Stereology
StereoInvestigator and Neurolucida software.  Trace and analyze branching structures, plot and analyze distribution of cells throughout single or serial sections. System includes all modern stereological probes for unbiased measurements.  Zeiss AxioImager A1 light microscope, Optronincs MicroFire Progressive Scan, motorized stage, stereological analysis tools.
Leica SP2 MultiPhoton Confocal Microscope Leica SP2 #1
350, 458, 476, 488, 514, 543 & 633nm laser lines plus Ti:Sapphire laser, motorized stage.   
Leica SP2 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope Leica SP2 #2
458, 476, 488, 514, 543 & 633nm laser lines, motorized stage, mark & find, Tiling.
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope ESEM
ESEM with field-emission electron gun, EDAX energy-dispersive spectroscopy (light-element capability), Peltier-effect heating/cooling stage, 1000o and 1500oC heating stages, Everhart-Thornley secondary electron detector (SED), three gaseous SEDs (GSEDs; for imaging in 'wet' mode), backscattered electron detectors, S-VHS recorder, electrical feedthroughs, bug-on-a-spit device, micromanipulator/microinjector, plus other options.
Transmission Electron Microscope TEM
Philips CM200 operates at accelerating voltages of up to 200 kV.  Images acquired to film or digitally, using a TVIPS 2k x 2k Peltier-cooled CCD camera. Philips Compustage for precise control of specimen holder/specimen movement, low-dose kit, Gatan cryo specimen holder for frozen specimens, high tilt holder, rotation stage holder. 
Atomic Force Microscope (MultiMode AFM) AFM
Digital Instruments Nanoscope IIIa, capable of contact, tapping, magnetic force, electric force, phase imaging, and pulsed force modes; contact and non-contact; scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) head; J-scanner with x,y range of 125 microns and vertical range of 5 microns; A-scanner with x,y range of 1 micron and vertical range of 400 nm; analyses may be performed in air or liquid cell
Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopes NSOM
Transmission, reflection, and collection NSOM.  Digital Instruments controller, closed loop x,y stage, inverted Zeiss microscope, Specs 500M monochromator with a Photometrix CCD for spectroscopy.
Xradia MicroCT MicroCT
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Ancillary Equipment

Name / Description Calendar
AccuSizer FX Particle Sizer AccuSizer
Focused extinction system for the determination of complex multimodal particle size distributions between 0.7 and 20 microns
Carbon Evaporator Evaporator
High-vacuum turbo-pumped Denton evaporator with capacity for carbon thread, carbon rod, resistive metal evaporation, dual evaporation mode.
Critical Point Dryer Critical Point Dryer
Dual Source Metal Evaporator Metal Evaporator
Fiber Puller
Laser controlled instrument for pulling glass fibers to very fine tips; used primarily for NSOM
NICOMP 380 ZLS Particle Sizer NICOMP 380ZLS
Dynamic light scattering instrument for determining the particle size distribution of particles in a liquid.
Sputter Coater
Turbo-pumped sputter coater with rotating/tilting stage, film thickness monitor; various targets, including Au, Au/Pd, Pt, Al, Ti
Ultramicrotome Ultramicrotome
Multi-illumination of the pyramid and knife edge, dual automatic advance system, control unit with cutting speed control, memory for five combinations of advance/cutting speed settings, return speed and cutting window settings.

Facilities

    

Name / Description Calendar
Wet Lab N/A
Bench space, fume hood, some chemicals and solvents, plus carbon evaporator (Denton DV-502A), pH meter, dissecting scope, fiber puller, laminar flow hood, microbalance, portable glow discharge system (Denton DPG-1), reverse osmosis water purification system (Millipore), sonicator, sputter coater (Denton Desk-1 TSC)
Clean Room Clean Room
A small Class 500 Clean Room laboratory available for specimen preparation. The cleanroom is for creation and inspection of MEMs devices such as microstamps or microfludic devices. ITG users need to reserve time to use the Clean Room.