In case that you cannot make use of your booked microscope time, or should your session finish significantly earlier than planned, please inform the other users, or send an email to person responsible for the microscope.

Each microscope has its specific booking guidelines which depend on the occupation of the tool and thus can be subject to changes: ZEISS GeminiSEM 460, FEI Quanta650 ESEM, JEOL JEM 2200fs, FEI Titan Themis

Reservations can be made in Outlook by sending a meeting request to the respective microscope which you can find in the Outlook Address book under Du-Equipment.

ZEISS GeminiSEM 460

Empa shares the microscope with EAWAG: 2.5 days (out of 5 weekdays) are available for Empa people:

• Wednesdays and Thursdays are reserved for EAWAG, while Mondays and Tuesdays are Empa-days. Fridays are available for EAWAG and Empa.

• Don't book more than half a day (or 4 hours) per week.
• If at noon the microscope timetable shows open slots on the following day, you can book (additional) microscope time for the following day, regardless whether this is an Empa- or an EAWAG-day, and regardless whether you already have an active reservation.
• Don't make reservations more than 3 weeks in advance.
• The microscope must be in use not later than 30 min after the reservation starts. If the microscope is not in use within 30 min after the booked time starts, the microscope is open for any other user (first-come, first-serve) during the particular time slot the microscope was booked.
• Monday afternoon is booked for maintenance and industrial services of the Electron Microscopy Center. Please consult should you require microscope time then.

FEI Quanta 650 ESEM

Preferential access is given to the Empa laboratories:  301, 305 and 308 as follows:

• Tuesdays are pre-booked for laboratory 305 (Multiscale Studies in Building Physics)
• Wednesdays are pre-booked for laboratory 308 (Concrete / Construction Chemistry)
• Thursdays are pre-booked for laboratory 301 (Road Engineering/Sealing Components)
• Monday and Friday are accessible to all users who received the appropriate training.

Exemption: If at noon the microscope timetable shows open slots on a following day (also being a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday), you can book (additional) microscope time for the following day, regardless whether this is a pre-booked day of the above mentioned labs, and regardless whether you already have an active reservation.

The following guidelines apply to all Empa Users:

• Don't book more than half a day (or 4 hours) per week, unless you plan a time-consuming experiment.
• Don't make reservations more than 3 weeks in advance.
• The microscope must be in use not later than 30 min after the reservation starts. If the microscope is not in use within 30 min after the booked time starts, the microscope is open for any other user (first-come, first-serve) during the particular time slot the microscope was booked.

JEOL JEM 2200FS

• Two Sessions. There are two sessions a day, which can be booked: morning session: 8:00-13:00 and afternoon session: 13:00-18:00, Mon-Fri.
• The starting time (8:00 and 13:00 are fixed), the end times are flexible depending on your needs, but must not exceed the starting time of the next session. Coordinate with the next user about who and when the AC-heating needs to be started (only once a day!).
• Bookings: Users must not book more than two sessions per week (Mon-Fri). This can be a whole day (8:00-18:00) or two separate half-day sessions.
• Bookings: Maximal three active bookings (half days) per person and microscope. This means that if you start one session, you can only have two additional active bookings (half-days). When finishing the session, you may book again a third half-day session. Two half-day sessions per week, three in total.
• Don't make reservations more than 3 weeks in advance.
• Deadlines: The booked microscope needs to be occupied before 9:00 (morning session) and before 13:30 (afternoon session). If the microscope is not in use at the deadlines, the microscope is open for any other user (first-come, first-serve) during the particular morning or afternoon session.
• Last Minute Bookings. If in the morning of a particular day there is still a session available, you can book it regardless of how many sessions you already have booked on that microscope. Last minute bookings don't affect your other bookings.

FEI Titan Themis

• Two Sessions. There are two sessions a day, which can be booked: morning session: 8:00-13:00 and afternoon session: 13:00-18:00, Mon-Fri.
• The starting time (8:00 and 13:00 are fixed), the end times are flexible depending on your needs, but must not exceed the starting time of the next session.
• On Friday coordinate who and when the cryo-cycle needs to (be) start(ed).
• Bookings: Users must not book more than two sessions per week (Mon-Fri). This can be a whole day (8:00-18:00) or two separate half-day sessions.
• Bookings: Maximal three active bookings (half days) per person and microscope. This means that if you start one session, you can only have two additional active bookings (half-days). When finishing the session, you may book again a third half-day session. Two half-day sessions per week, three in total.
• Don't make reservations more than 3 weeks in advance.
• Deadlines: The booked microscope needs to be occupied before 9:00 (morning session) and before 13:30 (afternoon session). If the microscope is not in use at the deadlines, the microscope is open for any other user (first-come, first-serve) during the particular morning or afternoon session.
• Last Minute Bookings. If in the morning of a particular day there is still a session available, you can book it regardless of how many sessions you already have booked on that microscope. Last minute bookings don't affect your other bookings.