1.High Vacuum Coating System

Model: ACE600

Manufacturer: Leica

Acquisition Date: 2021

Contact: Jie Zhang

Phone Number: 15022142553

Email: zhang_j@tib.cas.cn

Main configuration and technical specifications:

• Capable of both ion sputtering and carbon wire evaporation coating;
• Quadruple carbon wire evaporation, selectable between flash or pulse evaporation modes;
• Coating termination: Can terminate based on time or upon reaching a set film thickness, with a thickness control precision of 0.1 nm;
• Argon gas flushing system to remove residual gases from the pipeline, ensuring a contamination-free sample chamber;
• Optimal vacuum level: ≤ 5×10⁻³ mbar;
• Glow discharge current: 0-30 mA.

Application and characteristics:

The high vacuum coating system is equipped with a quartz film thickness monitor that automatically stops coating when the set thickness is reached, providing precise control with a thickness accuracy of 0.1 nm. It supports both metal sputtering and carbon wire evaporation. Depending on the sample requirements, metal targets or carbon wires can be easily interchanged. The system is mainly used for depositing nanometer-thin conductive films on non-conductive surfaces to improve surface conductivity while maintaining the sample's original surface morphology, as the coating thickness is only a few nanometers.

2. Rapid Plunge Freezer

Model: Vitrobot

Manufacturer: Thermo

Acquisition Date: 2021

Contact: Jie Zhang

Phone Number: 15022142553

Email: zhang_j@tib.cas.cn

Main configuration and technical specifications:

• Single-sided single or multiple blotting;
• Environmental chamber temperature control range: +4°C to 60°C;
• Environmental chamber humidity control range: Ambient to 99%;
• Integrated observation system with optical magnification of ≥ 40x;
• Secondary cryo container temperature range: -105°C to -185°C;
• Equipped with a rapid liquefaction system for the convenient and safe addition of secondary cryogens.

Application and characteristics:

The rapid plunge freezer is used for preparing cryo-EM grids. It is particularly suited for solution samples of thickness <200 nm. The system provides high repeatability and precise control of key process parameters. It is primarily utilized for freezing samples like proteins and viruses in suspension onto transmission electron microscopy grids. The sample is plunged into cryogens, rapidly freezing it to form a vitrified ice layer, which is essential for subsequent 3D cryo-electron microscopy analysis.