it depends.. If you are satified with just stating there is solder, copper, gold and a dielectric, 100 times is enough, however, when you need see microcracks, grain boundaries and intergranular objects etc, you need at least 500 times magnification. If you are in the lucky situation to have plenty of money, then muy a good metallographic microscope. It's always a good investiment, that will pay back in a year or two. Inge ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Foster" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 7:01 PM Subject: [TN] microscopes What kind of magnification would people recommend for looking at cross sections. I see on the cracked enig pictures a 20uM scale. What kind of magnification was used to get that shot? We are getting ready to buy a new microscope and I have the luxury of calling out some of the specs as long as they dont' cost a fortune. Any input is apprectiated Thanks --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------