General considerations for design and construction of transmission electron microscopy laboratories

One of the main points in facilities for nanoscience research work, besides the clean areas, and other special zones, is that which refers to the precision laboratories for the location of optical instruments and other research and analysis equipment, as Transmision Electron Microscopes (TEM), which require specific environmental and technical conditions for their correct operation. This paper reviews the general considerations and the limit values associated with acoustic vibration, electromagnetic interference and thermal fluctuation phenomena that affect the performance of a TEM. The recommendations that are reviewed may be also generally useful to design rooms where scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and different types of precision instruments can be located.