The program of the ASU Facility for High Resolution Electron Microscopy, within the Center for Solid State Science, maintains a balance between the two main functions of the Facility operation. The program of developmental research, on the one hand, involves the exploration of new possibilities for instrumentation and operational techniques, and for these purposes new types of microscopes are being built, tested and further evaluated. On the other hand the Facility provides a service for many user groups, to make the most advanced current techniques and operational modes accessible for their research and to establish and maintain the highest standards of performance and interpretation in high resolution electron microscopy and associated techniques. The electron microscopes currently used in the Facility for this latter purpose are now out-dated, overworked and inadequate in relation to the quality and quality of the work demanded of them. A new microscope which is more appropriate for the purpose will be acquired. The new microscope is essential also in relation to the educational role of the Facility. Through its annual Schools and Workshops and continuing interactions with the scientific community the Facility has considerable impact on the standards of electron microscopy practice and must maintain its instrumentation at, or beyond, the state of the art in order to perform this function adequately.
