Applied Science - 2011-03-21
Today, I finally produced an image with my DIY scanning electron microscope. I've spent the last few months working on this project, and am encouraged by today's success. There is still a lot of work left to do in making the image higher resolution, and eliminating sources of noise, however this image proves that all parts of the microscope are operating as designed. I will be showing this project at Maker Faire 2011 in San Mateo. Come see it for yourself in person! http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/2011/03/diy-scanning-electron-microscope.html Search my blog for "microscope" for additional images and info: http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/
I mean seriously... this fucking guy... the things he does as a hobby.
Yep, they're amazing! This is a very informative channel.
Just built this electron scanning microscope from things lying around in my garage.
Yeah everyone with a garage can say that.
here in my garage...
KNAWLIDGE
"Here with my delorean, i read a datasheet a day, KNAWLIDGE"
I have a degree in materials science and I have seen SEM a lot many times I used to get really excited but this , i mean THIS SETUP , man I have lived my life I guess
I couldn't control my excitement when somewhere in the video I understood how a scanning electron microscope works and it is much simpler than I thought or maybe you explained it so beautifully that it seems simple. I can understand how excited you are in the video. Great work.
Same for me, I got so exited just that I could finaly understand how they work, and that it's so simple (yet complicated) that someone with the right knoledge and tech could build one.
A great explanation can make complex things simple, it's what explainations do and yes indeed he explained it very well
It seems to be just like light but with electrons. You blast a bunch of electrons somewhere (playing the role of the sun or any light source) and then you have another little device (playing the role of the eye) that looks at the patterns of how the electrons bounce off.
Wow Ben, I can't believe you've been at it on this channel for over 10 years! All I can say is thank you so much. You've helped make learning interesting again after I dropped out of college for engineering. You've helped me more than I could ever describe here. Please keep making amazing videos. You're a rock star dude!
Holy crap, yeah. I remember watching this series when it came out, and I could almost swear it was only 3-4 years ago. Man... where does the time go? I don't wanna be one of those old sounding guys, but it really DOES go by a lot faster as you age. Scary fast, sometimes. I feel like I blink and suddenly 4 years have gone by like a month would. And I'm only 38. At this rate, the last year of my life will probably feel like a week. So it goes.
This is so amazing! I wish for a SEM, but pre-built would cost me grands and I'm just a curious little college kid on financial aid. Luckily, I have a friend who's a soon to be engineer whom may be able to help me. I've been looking for patents with as clear as possible instructions. You're amazing!
I love the spark-plugs, what a great use of such a simple object and it suits the purpose perfectly. wonderful engineering overall!
Never thought of a DIY electron scanning microscope... Awesome
The discipline, energy and time needed in order to attempt a project of this magnitude is exceptional. I have certainly enjoyed your video and look forward to more posts in the future.
I've probably said this before, but you explain things so well into the detail but not too much, not repeating, and I don't have to skip back a second to really understand what's going on, it's all clear from the first play. That is really amazing. This is the first time I see this project and the video is 5 years old, but my first ideas for improving the image quality is to use shielded wires, so they deliver only the voltage that comes from the generators, no crosstalk. And of course, as CRTs are affected by the magnetic fields, so must this be. More shielding if there are changing magnetic fields. But this must have been already done. Great work!
One of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.
I am an undergraduate physics student but so much in love with computers and physics and science !! I think I am going to try to do this project at the very least I would get way more knowledge then what I will ever expect!! It is coool really so expect me to ask you some questions, your channel is woooow you won't believe how much did you contribute to people but really keep it up
0:23 "I've had some of these parts in my garage..." 9:07 yeah, everyone has this stuff laying about, brilliant :)
You are totally inspiring. We're about to buy our first decent microscope for the kids home schooling and my son and I were talking about how cool it would be to have our own electron microscope as a joke until we saw you vid. He's about to turn 10 and this stuff has facinated him since b4 he could talk. Well done. I can't wait to see more.
Good question. The phosphor/PMT allows the use of 10KV to accelerate secondary electrons, while not requiring the PMT anode to be 10KV above ground. This provides a DC signal path from secondaries to final output without voltage shifting or isolated supplies. Modern machines still use this method to measure secondary emission. Backscattered electrons are collected directly, since their energies are much higher. I have some electron multipliers that I would like to test with an isolated amp.
awesome. unbelievable. I have a BSEE and worked for HP...many years and exposed to high-end devo environments - even many contractors at K Space Center. that you did this in a few months? wow.it will inspire many.
Thanks for the fast reply. I'm a noob to youtube :^) but slowly getting the hang of things. I did check out your other videos, and must say.... Very impressive! You, and a few others have inspired me to try some videos of my own.
From "pop rocks" to "electron microscopes"...... Now that's diversified! Great stuff.
Take care.
Wow, and the rest is history!
What would we do without Applied Sci & Carlson? Keep the videos coming!
What an historic comment to stumble across 5 years later.
Same here !
@@-allround- Ditto! Silly me never thought to look for something like this.
DUDE... this.. we are mere mortals in your presence.
Also, I'm amazed at how precisely and coherently you can speak about this, you're a very intelligent speaker.
Here' why your work is really inspiring to me: For some time, I've thought that envelope-pushing research had moved from the realm of the private hobbyists of an earlier time (Franklin, Faraday, et. al.) to the realm of large, well funded universities and corporations, since the cost of research components was too prohibitive. You have proven me wrong, and so have greatly inspired me.
I don't even know what I would use it for, but I do know that I've always wanted one. Lo and behlod, here is one you built in your garage!!! I'm speachless...
Can't even Imagine the amount of knowledge that would have gone into this project. Respect !!!
Where did you start? With gaining all this knowledge I mean.. I'm incredibly impressed, and curious as to how one could become this capable
Thanks! I really appreciate it. Some of my training comes from my mechanical engineering studies at UCSB. Most of my training comes from finding information on the internet, testing things in my own shop, and running my own prototyping business. Check my LinkedIn profile for details.
Applied Science Oh no problem man, you're an amazing human being. Stay curious!
Applied Science
I worked for Cambridge Scientific Instuments as a service engineer for many years
who made the worlds first commercial SEM, Did you make your own filaments, or did you buy them, and is the beam deflection electrostatic? Good luck with the fine tuning.
Peter May
I bought a box of commercial filaments on eBay because they were very inexpensive, and having very regular, exactly sized filaments made replacement easy (instead of adjusting each bent piece of wire). This device is entirely electrostatic -- no magnetics at all except for the permanent steering magnets to compensate for a not-aligned column.
Applied Science what did is cost for you to make this?
Nicely done! Probably one of the best DIY projects I've ever seen.
You are a geeenius.. Genius is not enough to define you. You are inspiration for every science geek. I would love to know how you get inspired and how you get ideas and materials and tools.
Super. Many viewers (as myself) fall asleep building these sort of things in head but lack the time / money to follow through. Can't do everything. Appreciate your work and videoing, answering questions we ask ourselves.
Next build is a particle accelerator right?😁
Azim Alif He could do it in an hour.
He did, multiple times
I don’t know wether or not he has done the fusion reactor yet.
Well isnt this microscope an electron accelerator?
Pablo Pérez Herrero yes. His magnetron sputtering device is one, too.
Holy crap dude, I had no idea an SEM was anywhere in the possible range of a DIY effort. Very impressive work. Subbed.
Give your self a big pat on the back . I built an oscilloscope from junk years ago, but "That piece of equipment " is some achievement .Well Done. I have subscribed to see where you go with this project.
You are a genius, sir. No doubts or discussion needed on that. Congratulations on building such an amazing machine!
Once when I was 21 I did build an oscilloscope using an old crt (22 inches B/W tv) and its EAT trasformer at 25KV..I also built the amplifyers with a couple of opamp and 4 transistors, it took me 1 month to figure it out (I didn't see an oscilloscope before beside the one at school and some description of their functions) so after the 2 years electronics course I did built one and it worked! I think you put the same entusiasm building this microscope!
Wow! You accomplished such herculean task. Much respect Sir. 🙇
You sir, are a credit to the species! Amazing work you've done! You must make your parents very very proud!
I can't understand how there are any dislikes on this video. It's such a cool project!
You really deserve to be admired, good sir! I take off my geek and science hats for you. You are absolutely amazing.
Impressive! From the e.microscope itself to the solution for oil vapours, my hat down to you!
This is insane bro, you take the diy to the next level
I love the spark plug feed thru's
Oh hey Jeri, big fan
Brilliant aren't they!
😍
😍
Cool to know I am not the only one thinking of a DIY electron microscope. 30 years have gone by, and I haven't got to it yet.
But then again, I have wanted to build a motorized go kart since I was 8 years old...haven't got to that either.....I was 8 in 1970
You have to admire this level of work, just brilliant.
This is absolutely fantastic stuff, you ought to have your own TV show.
I understand the principle of the scanning electron microscope but it goes beyond my knowledge to ask detailed questions about it like you say in the end. Well done man and I admire your technical skills and understanding how to built it.
A superb piece of science/engineering. I was surprised that the detector did not simply pick up secondary electrons and amplify them with an electron multiplier. This was used with the Farnsworth tube. I suppose the optical detector is more sensitive due to the high accelerating voltage.
And i have been struggling with making my led strip work! Dude you are beyond genius
I was literally thinking this about 2 days ago, that a technician working on carbon allotropes could likely build their own electron microscope to verify resultant carbon formations. And just now this very video pops up on my YT feed. Fantastic!! :D
There should be a documentary about your life. You are a very interesting person. And you seem genuinely nice.
BRAVO!!! This is the most impressive DIY I have ever seen!! LOVE IT!!!
cool project, glad to see there are still real people doing, real science at home. To simple say, I wonder if I can do that, and then set out to do it.Congrats.
The highest accelerating voltage is 10KV, and I normally run the SEM at under 5KV. The x-rays produced by this acceleration are so low-energy that essentially none will be able to penetrate the glass and aluminum chamber. This is why black-and-white TVs did not need lead shielding. Color TVs used 25KV+ voltages, and then became an X-ray hazard, requiring lead glass.
wow! I couldn't believe that some one can build a electron scan microscope at home.
pretty amazing!
nice work! thanks 👍👌
everything starts like this then the rest is perfection
+THUNDERBOLT true 👍
I feel inadequate as a human being now.. MOST IMPRESSIVE youtube video ever !!
@chillpill856 - 2016-09-04
I cannot even imagine one person can actually build a precision machine like this. You are a GENIUS and incredibly awesome. RESPECT.
@cipndale - 2019-09-16
Think about that there were persons in the beginning that did this before without the information we have now at disposal like the one that conceived it von Ardenne.
@Reth_Hard - 2019-10-11
Yep, I didn't find a better channel about science than this one here. This guys is a pro and he's very generous to share all this with us.
If someone knows a better science channel, you can tell me but I seriously doubt there is.
Ok... See you next time... Bye...
@AA-gl1dr - 2020-01-21
Reth Tard look up Nile Red if you enjoy these!
@Qual_ - 2020-05-07
@@Reth_Hard Science Asylum ! But it's more about theories and how stuff works, while Applied Science, is more... applied ? :D
@Reth_Hard - 2020-05-07
@@AA-gl1dr Too late, I'm already a sub... :P