The VEGA series was designed with respect to a wide range of SEM applications and needs in today’s research and industry. After 10 years of continuous development VEGA has matured to its 3rd generation. This new generation provides its users with the advantages of the latest technology, such as new improved high-performance electronics for faster image acquisition, an ultra-fast scanning system with compensation for static and dynamic image aberrations or built-in scripting for user-defined applications, all while maintaining the best price-to-performance ratio.     
     
TESCAN offers the LaB6 – lanthanum hexaboride – electron source as an option, which can be classified as somewhere in-between the Schottky emitter and a tungsten heated filament. The benefit of LaB6 is a relatively stable electron-emitting source compared to those of FE SEMs, providing higher currents at lower cathode temperatures compared to tungsten emitters. This means greater brightness, a reasonably improved resolution over the whole range of accelerating voltages and a longer cathode lifetime. Due to the higher emission current, the LaB6 emitter is the right choice for analytical applications where large beam currents are needed.