Pieces, 100 mm (4 in), 150 mm (6 in) · 2000s–2010s
The S-4800 is a cold field-emission SEM for high-resolution imaging of devices, nanostructures and cross-sections. We inspect, relocate and service used units for research labs.
Price on request
The Hitachi S-4800 is a cold field-emission scanning electron microscope that became one of the standard high-resolution SEMs in university characterisation centres and semiconductor labs. It followed the S-4700 and uses Hitachi's semi-in-lens objective with upper and lower detectors and ExB signal filtering. In practice that means sharp images of nanostructures, gate cross-sections and resist profiles at low voltages, where charging and beam damage are less of a problem.
A used S-4800 SEM is a common route to high-resolution imaging for labs that cannot justify a new FE-SEM. It is a demanding instrument to move and install, though. Most of the risk lies in the gun vacuum and the site, not the electronics, which is where our inspection and relocation planning focus.
A typical refurbishment covers backing pump service or replacement, turbo pump checks, cleaning of the chamber and airlock, replacement of apertures, O-ring changes on chamber doors and ports, and detector scintillator replacement where the signal is weak. Gun work depends on the inspection: a stable tip is left alone; a failing tip or a gun that has been vented is quoted separately because it involves a bake and realignment. The result is graded Certified, Refurbished, Inspected or As-is, and Certified units include resolution images in the report.
EDX is the most requested addition, either a new silicon drift detector or a replacement for an older liquid-nitrogen-cooled detector. A chamber plasma cleaner reduces hydrocarbon contamination at high magnification. We also recommend a UPS for the ion pumps so a short power cut does not vent the gun. Apertures, scintillators, vacuum gauges, O-rings and pump parts are the regular spares, sourced through our spare parts service.
Have the room surveyed before you commit. An S-4800 in a room with high vibration or magnetic fields will not reach its resolution, whatever its condition. Ask how the tool was shut down and stored, and whether the gun stayed under vacuum; a gun that has been vented adds cost and time. Plan the move as one project with rigging and transport and commissioning and acceptance, so the bake, alignment and resolution test follow directly after delivery. If a SEM is more than your samples need, the metrology section also covers profilers and film measurement tools.
Typical values for the platform. Each tool’s inspection report lists its actual configuration.
Rebuild used tools to their original specification, with a written scope and a test report.
Learn moreKeep older process tools running with planned maintenance, repair, calibration and parts.
Learn moreMoving a process tool from one cleanroom to another, and getting it running at the new site.
Learn moreNeed a spare part for the S-4800? Send us the part number and we will check what we can supply.
Tip life depends on gun vacuum, flashing routine and how the tool is shut down. A stable gun vacuum is the best predictor, so we log ion pump readings and emission behaviour at inspection.
The gun and column ion pumps should stay powered as long as possible, and a move usually means a controlled vent and a bake-out on site afterwards. We plan the move, the bake and the re-alignment together.
Low floor vibration, low stray AC magnetic fields, stable room temperature and a dedicated power supply. We measure vibration and field at the planned location before the tool ships.
We can include an EDX detector from the tool's existing configuration or quote a separate detector. The analysis software is licensed by the EDX manufacturer, so licence transfer is checked before sale.
300 mm (12 in) with mapping stage · 2000s–2020s
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2000s
Reflectometers measure routine films quickly and cheaply. Ellipsometers handle very thin films, unknown materials and stacks. How to choose for your lab.
Tell us the process, wafer size and facilities. We reply with availability, an inspection report and a refurbishment scope.