The K850WM is a compact, bench-top instrument designed to critical point dry a complete 6"/150 mm wafer. A convenient wafer holder allows rapid transfer and ensures that pre-drying does not occur.

Critical point drying (sometimes called supercritical drying) is an established method of dehydrating biological tissue prior to examination in a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Freeze drying specimen preparation reduces the distortion and shrinkage effects that occur when a wet specimen dries by normal evaporation. Distortion is due to the forces of surface tension that occur when going from a liquid to a vapour phase, such as from water to water vapour - the normal situation with biological specimens. The freeze drying method overcomes this problem by careful sublimation of frozen specimens under vacuum - a process that avoids the liquid phase and thereby reduces distortion effects. The rate of sublimation is a function of temperature and vacuum, with typical drying times being several hours or longer.

Freeze drying specimen preparation reduces the distortion and shrinkage effects that occur when a wet specimen dries by normal evaporation. Distortion is due to the forces of surface tension that occur when going from a liquid to a vapour phase, such as from water to water vapour - the normal situation with biological specimens. The freeze drying method overcomes this problem by careful sublimation of frozen specimens under vacuum - a process that avoids the liquid phase and thereby reduces distortion effects. The rate of sublimation is a function of temperature and vacuum, with typical drying times being several hours or longer.

The E3100 large chamber critical point dryer has been an industry standard for over 35 years and is used in numerous scanning electron microscopy (SEM) laboratories around the world. Primarily used for critical drying of biological and geological specimens, the E3100 can also used for the controlled drying MEMs, aerogels and hydrogels.