The MC1000 Ion Sputter Coater is a sample preparation instrument for use with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The MC1000 is designed to deposit a thin metal coating, such as platinum (Pt), gold (Au), platinum-palladium alloy (Pt-Pd) or gold-palladium alloy (Au-Pd), in order to make the surface of a sample electrically conductive and avoid charge build-up during observation in a SEM. The thickness of the metal deposition is variable from a few nanometers up to tens of nanometers by using the LCD touch screen control. Up to 5 processing conditions can be stored. 
 
The MC1000 operates via a magnetron electrode, which means a magnet is incorporated in the target (negative electrode) to generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field on the target surface. This minimizes specimen damage due to irradiation with fast moving particles (including reflected ions) and allows coating with high granularity (smaller-diameter particles).