The Teaching SEM - An Example of Real-Time Remote Control SEM

Abstract

To introduce engineering undergraduates to one of the most widely used microstructural characterization tool, namely the scanning electron microscope (SEM), the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) at The University of Michigan has developed the Teaching SEM. This instrument is located in the department’s undergraduate teaching laboratory, however, it may be controlled from a lecture theater or classroom virtually anywhere on the University campus, or indeed, anywhere within the reach of the campus computing network and cable television network. The Teaching SEM allows MS&E to incorporate live SEM demos in the large service courses it teaches to engineering students and to show entire classes of MS&E majors how to control the microscope that tfiey subsequently use in their laboratory practicals.The Teaching SEM has been developed with hardware and software that is readily available, and there has been no custom software development or manufacture of specialized hardware. In addition to being a novel teaching tool, it also demonstrates the ease with which it is possible to do “Telepresence Microscopy”.