The installation of the new Hyperion II RF Plasma source has started this week. This source will be used to create dense and stable O- or O2- primary ion beam. It replaces the “classical” duoplasmatron source.

The denser primary beam created will allow doing small spot analysis, with similar – even higher – secondary count rates on the selected elements to be analyzed. The largely improved stability and source lifetime are also major benefits for the analytical sessions.

Installation, made by CAMECA, is scheduled to be done by April 19th, followed by several weeks of development and tests.

The SIMS has been off the week of February 9th to 13th due to a maintenance of a egun coil. It turns out that a part of the coil has to be changed.

We were able to do 2 weeks of duo measurements between 2 SIMS transfer opening.

As of today (9/03/15), we have to open again the transfer to make some adjustment on the coil, but we are waiting for critical spare parts.

From late December 2014 to Januray 9th 2015: down time, due to a vacuum leak in the transfer