Care of NanoScan Apertures

Debris such as dust particles can lodge in the very fine openings of the slits or pinholes and obstruct the passage of the incident beam. This can compromise instrument performance, resulting in erroneous or inconsistent measurements. With slits, a few dust particles may or may not be a problem, depending on the application and measurement configuration, and contamination by many particles is more likely to create a problem. With pinhole apertures a single particle can be disastrous. Therefore, when the system is not in use, it is recommended that the protective plastic cap be used to cover the scan head entrance aperture to avoid possible contamination. If inconsistent performance is observed and contamination by debris is suspected, a clean jet of compressed air may solve the problem, but excessive pressure may also damage the apertures. Do not under any circumstances attempt to clean the apertures with solvents! If aperture contamination is suspected, it is recommended that the unit be returned to Photon for aperture inspection, cleaning or replacement, and recalibration.

When returning a NanoScan for inspection/repair/recalibration, do install the plastic cap cover to protect the apertures from debris contamination during shipment.