The electron microscope was only possible with the development of high vacuum technology. Mechanical pumps were available early in this century, and Gaede in Germany developed the mercury pump called a “condensation pump” during WWI and in the 1920's. In 1928, Burch in England found that a low vapor pressure oil would work in a mercury pump and the oil diffusion pump was born. They were made by DPI in Rochester, Metropolitan Vickers in England, and Leyboid in Germany. Other oils became available and in the mid-30's, vacuum evaporators were in laboratory use in England, Germany and the United States.

In the 1930's and 40's, the aim was to produce vacuum of 10-4 - 10-5 mm Hg where the mean free path was two feet or more and atoms, molecules and electrons could move this distance with little obstruction. In those days, we were all very happy to get 10-4 - 10-5 without worrying much as to what gas was left.

As an industrial consulting laboratory specializing in small particle, thin film, and surface analysis, instrumental techniques to solve problems involving contamination, failure analysis, processing control, and materials research are used on a daily basis. In many cases, elemental analysis for samples is sufficient to pinpoint problems and suggest solutions. However, some cases require a more detailed understanding of chemical states and phases in small particles and films than that typically obtained from light and electron microscopy and x-ray microanalysis.

The chemical states and phases in crystalline particles and thick films can be analyzed with several techniques found in many laboratories, including polarized light microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron diffraction. In combination with elemental analysis, these techniques oftentimes provide a very detailed understanding of the chemistry of particles and films.