The ion gun is a supporting component of the three ion beam equipment. The service life of an ion gun is generally between 300 to 350 hours. If the voltage of the three ion beam equipment is relatively high during use, the service life will be correspondingly shorter. In addition, the ion gun will accumulate some impurities and stains during long-term use. These impurities and stains mainly come from the processed samples, the gas used (argon gas, with a purity requirement of 99.999% or above), the ion gun itself loss, and so on.

These impurities and stains will to some extent have adverse effects on the use of three ion beam equipment. At the same time, considering the relatively long lifespan of the ion gun, it is necessary to regularly clean it, which is beneficial for maintaining the good working condition of the three ion beam equipment.

The ion gun consists of 7 components, including 3 aluminum alloy parts (silver), 2 ceramic parts (white), and 2 alloy parts (yellow). These three parts need to be cleaned separately, as follows:

1. Cleaning of aluminum alloy parts

It should be noted that aluminum alloy parts cannot contact with water, isopropanol, sodium hydroxide and other substances. The aluminum alloy parts can only be cleaned with industrial grade Scouring pad. The external part does not need to be cleaned, and the internal part can only be cleaned with the primary metal color. After wiping, high-pressure air can be used to blow off the scum without any other steps.

2. Cleaning of ceramic parts

There is only one cleaning step for ceramic parts, which is high-temperature baking. It is generally recommended to heat the ceramic parts to 1000 ℃ -1200 ℃, keep them warm for 1 hour, and take them out after cooling. After taking them out, they will be very white without wiping. After high-temperature baking, ceramic parts should be immediately molded and sealed to prevent moisture.

3. Cleaning of alloy parts

The cleaning of alloy parts is divided into three steps.

The first step is to soak the alloy parts in 30% sodium hydroxide solution. At this point, NaOH will react with the stain, releasing bubbles. After this process is completed, remove the alloy part.

The second step is to soak the alloy parts in isopropanol. Then put them together in the Ultrasonic cleaning and treat them with the Ultrasonic cleaning for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Take out the alloy parts and place them in an oven. Select an oven temperature of 400 ℃ and blow for 30 minutes.

The above are all the cleaning steps. After the operation is completed, the ion gun can be encapsulated.

Scrap issue:

1. Aluminum alloy parts

The protruding part of aluminum alloy parts will continue to wear and tear, and when its height is less than 3mm, it can be scrapped.

2. Ceramic parts

When ceramic parts experience cracking or other conditions, they can be scrapped.

3. Alloy parts

Alloy parts have relatively small losses and are generally deformed, which can be scrapped.

Precautions:

The water in contact with the ion gun must be distilled water.

That's all for sharing today about how to maintain and clean ion guns. If you would like to know more about other metallographic equipment, consumables, or metallographic sample preparation issues, please feel free to have technical exchanges with our engineers at any time, or visit the QMAXIS Testing Nanjing Laboratory to personally experience!

Disclaimer: This article is only for technical discussion.