Lifespan of probe and SEM

[dawncruth]

Hi all,
I was wondering what y'all might consider a reasonable lifespan of a probe and SEM, respectively. I'd like to know what the community thinks for planning purposes.

Thanks!
Dawn

[Jacob]

I personally aim for 15 years as the time to start shopping for a new SEM or probe, the actual usable lifespan being closer to 20.  In academia I find it typically takes about 5 years from first mentioning the possibility of replacement to an appropriate successful funding opportunity coming up.  About 20 years is enough time for a control computer to become well and truly archaic, which I'd say is the limiting factor with most modern machines.

In the SEM world this also depends on capabilities.  A 15-20 year old SEM with a 5 axis motorized stage has infinitely more utility remaining than a system with a manual stage.

[Mike Matthews]

Start asking for money when it gets to 10 years old, then you’ll hopefully actually get the money by the time it’s 15 years old. Beyond that it starts to become more like trying to keep a classic car running than operating an efficient lab.