Sample Exchange Wizard

13 min

Requires AMICS 5.2.0 or newer.

The Sample Exchange Wizard guides you through the process of loading a new specimen holder, configuring specimens, running surveys, and calibrating standards — all in a structured, repeatable workflow.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard showing the Layout page with holder visualization and specimen list | Sample Exchange Wizard main view}}

When to Use the Exchange Wizard

Use the Sample Exchange Wizard when:

Swapping a specimen holder in the SEM for a new batch of specimens

Setting up a production run with consistent survey and calibration steps

You want to save and reuse exchange configurations as presets

Accessing the Wizard

From the Investigator ribbon, click the Sample Exchange button, or right-click a specimen holder in the layout view → Sample Exchange Wizard.

Wizard Pages

The wizard consists of five pages, navigated sequentially:

Page 1: Holder

Select and configure the specimen holder.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard Holder page showing holder type selection and position map | Exchange Wizard - Holder page}}

Control	Description
Holder selection	Choose the holder type from the available designs
Position map	Visual display of hole positions on the holder

Page 2: Layouts

Assign specimens to holder positions and apply layout templates.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard Layouts page showing specimen assignments and template application | Exchange Wizard - Layouts page}}

Control	Description
Specimen list	List of positions with assigned specimens
Apply layout	Apply a saved layout template to populate positions
Template selection	Choose which measurement template to assign to each specimen
Import from file	Import specimen assignments from a text file

Page 3: Survey

Configure and run an automated survey scan of the holder.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard Survey page showing scan settings and hole ordering | Exchange Wizard - Survey page}}

Control	Description
Scan settings	Configure survey scan speed, resolution, and image quality
Hole ordering	Set the order in which holes are surveyed
Auto-survey	Run the survey automatically across all selected positions
Survey image	Preview of the survey results

Page 4: SEM Calibration

Calibrate SEM settings including brightness/contrast and EDS.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard SEM page showing calibration controls | Exchange Wizard - SEM page}}

Control	Description
Auto BC calibration	Automatically adjust brightness and contrast
EDS calibration	Calibrate EDS detector settings
End position	Navigate to a specified end position after calibration

Page 5: Standards

Verify and calibrate all FOV (Field of View) standard items.

{{FIG: Sample Exchange Wizard Standards page showing FOV standard verification | Exchange Wizard - Standards page}}

Control	Description
FOV items list	List of configured FOV standard items with status
Calibrate all	Run calibration on all standard items automatically
Individual calibration	Calibrate a single standard item

See [Image and EDS Standards] for details on FOV standard configuration.

Exchange Presets

Save your complete exchange configuration as a preset for repeatable workflows:

Action	Description
Save	Save all wizard settings as a named preset
Load	Load a previously saved preset — all pages are populated with the saved settings
Clone	Duplicate a preset under a new name
Delete	Remove a preset from the database
Export / Import	Share presets between AMICS installations via database export

Tip: In production labs, create one preset per holder type. When exchanging holders, load the preset and the wizard is immediately configured with the correct survey settings, calibration steps, and layout templates.

Workflow

A typical exchange workflow:

Physically swap the holder in the SEM

Open the Sample Exchange Wizard

Load a preset (or configure manually):

Select the holder type

Assign specimens to positions (or import from file)

Configure survey settings

Run the automated survey — AMICS scans all positions

Run SEM calibration — auto-BC and EDS calibration

Verify FOV standards — ensure imaging conditions are stable

Close the wizard — specimens are ready for measurement