The reason the 75th year TEM looks like a smart home appliance
JEM-120i Electron Microscope
In May 2024, the 75th founding anniversary year, JEOL Ltd. announced a new transmission electron microscope (TEM) JEM-120i. Electron microscopes typically have a visible column where the electron gun is placed. However, the appearance of JEM-120i is off-white rectangular. One cannot guess what this instrument is about from its appearance. Looking at its front, it looks like a smart home appliance. Clearly, a product that feels distinct from previous TEMs.
It is not only the color and shape that make the instrument feel "like a smart home appliance". The round deep hole on the instrument front is where the specimen holder is inserted. There is an LED light provided behind the hole that indicates the status of operation by the color of the light. For example, white means that the vacuum degree is OK and the instrument is ready to use, but the specimen holder is not inserted. When the specimen holder is inserted, the LED light turns blue. It looks just like a state-of-the-art home appliance.
The concepts of JEM-120i are 1. Compact, 2. Easy To Use, 3. Expandable. How did these concepts come to form this shape? We interviewed the members of the development project.
1. Compact: Did not want to make it a separate type of instrument
Where did the concept of making it compact come from?
Ikeda: Well, there is a timeline in our R&D Bldg. Figures of instruments from several decades ago are on the timeline. Looking at them made me think that old instruments were very compact and so probably easy to install at the customer site. This image may have been the trigger.
Yuta Ikeda, EM Business Planning Department, EM Business Unit
"JEM-120" in the timeline in our R&D Bldg. was the inspiration for the "JEM-120i" product development.
The reason Ikeda longs for old instruments is because the instruments in early days were mostly united types, while recent instruments consist of several units. In the past several decades, enhancing performance and increasing functions have been critical in developing electron microscopes. It is important, however as a result, instruments tend to become large. The power supply, vacuum evacuation unit, and control system are separate units by necessity. In the past, whenever developing new models, a separate composition seemed like common sense to start the development.
However, when he began developing this product, Ikeda thought it over. Is a separate composition alright? Separate types of instruments are time-consuming and bothersome during installation. To explain the development concept of compact in a little more precise way, it needs to be a united instrument with a compact console allowing for easy installation even if it is united. The idea is to create such a TEM.
Of course, he also thought about the assumed users. The JEM-120i should be a TEM of 120kV class accelerating voltage and mainly used for the observation of soft materials (soft substances such as polymer, biological membrane, biomolecules). Many of the users are those who have used optical microscopes for work and who will use electron microscope for the first time. These users will have resistance if they are told that a large or dedicated room is required because of an electron microscope. But they may introduce a product without resistance if the product has a sophisticated appearance and can be installed in the current workplace.
2. Easy To Use: Create a brochure first
"Easy To Use" is the concept that they have been particularly conscious of in all three concepts. Wish for creating a TEM that can be used easily and intuitively even by a novice user of electron microscope. For this objective, the development team created a brochure in advance.
Matsuzaki: I thought that the people considering purchasing the JEM-120i would want to know what they could do with this, how they did that, and the feeling of operation, rather than performance or specifications. So, I created a brochure from the user's point of view along with Ms. Aoki, and gave feedback to the development staff, saying "we want to make a brochure like this. So, why don't we make it happen?".
Mizuki Matsuzaki, EM Research and Development Department, EM Business Unit
The brochure created by Matsuzaki and others became the basis of our product brochure. The brochure introduces how everything can be operated with a mouse after inserting a specimen.
Actually, the JEM-120i is the first TEM that employs a mouse operation with JEOL. For the previous TEMs, dedicated operation panels used to be provided as standard, and most operations were instructed with this operation panel. However, an operation panel with many buttons makes beginner-level users feel that "the operation looks difficult". So, the operation panel for the JEM-1400Flash, former model of JEM-120i, was changed to a simpler one. Still the impression that the operation may be complicated and difficult was not wiped out. That's why operation by a mouse is standard with the JEM-120i, instead of an operation panel. (Operation panel is available as an option).
Aoki: During the covid-19 pandemic, we introduced remote software by user's requests for remote operation of TEM. As operation panels are not equipped with at-home PCs, remote software is instructed with a mouse. The operation system is also reflected in the software of JEM-120i.
Haruka Aoki, EM Application Department, EM Business Unit
There were various improvements needed for an Easy To Use instrument, other than being mouse operated. Considering many points such as preparation and checking steps before observation, automation was promoted. As a result, many processes have been streamlined. It is a surprise to people who know the steps of the previous models. Covering the instrument with a rectangular console was also possible because there were fewer areas to touch for preparation and confirmation.
They were confident about the ease of use. But the key is whether beginners will find it easy to use. "Why don't we ask a beginner to be a monitor!?" The person chosen was Ms. F in the administration department. Ms. F works for JEOL but has never used an electron microscope. Ms. F was given a two-page starter guide and she could perform a series of operations of the prototype without failure. It was proven that novice electron microscope user could intuitively and easily operate the model, which was the goal for the development team.
3. Expandable: we want to expand the sophisticated functionality just like the impression of the appearance
The third concept is, in a more accurate manner, "Expandable even at 120kV class".
Attachments to add new function are provided with many electron microscopes, particularly with higher models. There are many models allowing for easy on-site additions. However, there has been no such consideration for 120kV class instruments. If an attachment was to be added, it would be a major construction project, and in some cases, it would take a long time. For that time being, customers would be yielded by some inconvenience.
They thought about how to avoid such inconveniences with the JEM-120i. Parts that cannot be built in unless the column is disassembled, are built in the instrument in advance. By doing so, they made a sophisticated functionality expansion that is the same in the higher model when service representatives go to the site and do the work, the installation will be completed.
TEM in the 75th year, breaking with old-fashioned common sense
The development project of JEM-120i based on these three concepts have been implemented in the recent environmental changes.
When they were considering the specification, the covid-19 pandemic occurred and they were encountered by the inconvenience of remote conferences. As the covid-19 pandemic was prolonged, the wave of supply shortages and prices increased. They needed to reduce the costs further.
On the other hand, supporting female workers at work site has been promoted and the number of male workers who were eager to take the childcare leave had increased. Ikeda was also someone who proactively took childcare leave. Then, Tanba was hastily selected as the sub-leader of the project and moved the project forward.
It is not because of the change in leadership due to childcare leave. But the JEM-120i had side aspects that made us want to call it "TEM in the 75th year". With the JEM-120i, they reviewed the preparation and confirmation works before observation that used to be routine with the previous TEMs. They also questioned the separate types of composition and operation panels which had succeeded from the predecessors, reconsidered, and switched to another direction. In addition, they adopted a new design to indicate the operation status by the color of the LED light. There, one can sense the birth of a new TEM that is different from the values of old-fashioned common sense.
Tanba: Previously, before observation, a person would turn a screw to align the axis of the electron beam, followed by fine adjustment with an electromagnetic coil. This adjustment of turning a screw is a basic adjustment method for TEM, but it assumes that the adjustment is done manually. So, we re-examined the need for this adjustment and found that a mechanical adjustment was no longer necessary!
However, fine adjustments are necessary. So, we developed software for fine adjustments of electron beam axis with electromagnetic coils. This was a successful example that was only achieved by removing the prejudices and collaborating with the manufacturing department, development and design department, and application department. In the future, maybe we should review the manufacturing processes based on the old-fashioned common sense.
Shinichi Tanba, Products Technology Department, Production Division
We want to break the reality of "we do not have time"
The development project of the JEM-120i encountered various issues mid-way. From the beginning, there had been a consistent hope for the three concepts. Ikeda, the project leader says.
Ikeda: Our users are engaged in research in the advanced field every day and their way of researching varies because of the nature of their advanced research. I believe that it is our responsibility to prepare the environment for the researchers to achieve quality results and contribute to the progress of science and technology. There are many areas in the electron microscope where humans need to adjust, which takes the researcher's time. We wanted to break down the reality of "researcher's not having enough time" through automation of the areas where humans needed to handle.
The DNA of JEOL since our establishment that "contributing to the progress in both science and human society" has been taken over. The TEMs, which are the symbol of our DNA, will continue evolving beyond the ages. The JEM-120i has become a TEM which represents a 75th anniversary milestone.
