Oxford Microbeams OM2000 Ion microbeam endstage with triplet quadrupole lens assembly (OM150) and auxiliary equipment
The microprobe is used primarily for experiments where the spatial inhomogeneity is inherent in specimens of real interest. The nuclear microprobe (NMP) was installed on the 0∞ beam line of the single-ended 6MV Van de Graaff accelerator in 1991. The NMP system is now highly automated with most of the NMP being computer-controlled. Since its installation it has been successfully used in the analysis of samples from fields including archaeology, biology, geology, materials science and medicine. The microprobe target chamber is a modified version of the standard Oxford Microbeams chamber. A custom-made lid has been installed that allows for stepper motor control of the target ladder in the X-, Y- and Z-directions. Analysis techniques such as Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), and particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) are available.