Although Field Emission-ESEM provides an additional low vacuum option to analyse biological and insulating samples. Which is good regarding the applications.
Does this option also jeopardize the life of the instrument due to possibility of contamination by the samples that release vapors.
You own experience and expert advice are highly welcomed.
Samples should be dry enough otherwise the life time of filament will decrease.
What is environmental mode for SEM you are discussing? Is it possibility to observe water and wet specimens? In contrast to low vac mode, this mode is rarely used, not much applications exists. If you really need to observe wet specimens, then buy it, otherwise low vac mode is sufficient for most applications.
If you consider two SEMs with the same column and same gun, but one of them is equipped for wet mode, then you will not see any difference in performance and service life. Water vapor is harmless for modern SEM. Of course, if you put in oily, greasy and such specimens you can contaminate your microscope, but it will be your specimens, not microscope design that matter.
In my opinion normal FESEM is better with respect to performance and service life. Once you have FESEM with environmental mode it's hard to avoid contamination. However choice of the instrument should be of your research needs.
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