There has been a lot of interest in tabletop SEMs due to their ease of use, lower cost, and minimal lab space requirements compared to floor model SEMs.
The Phenom SEM provides significant value considering the small amount of lab space it occupies. It can be setup on standard lab furniture such as a lab bench or portable tabletop, and can even reside on an office desk.
Regardless of whether you have an open tabletop with lots of room beneath, a desktop with drawers on either side of your chair, or a standard lab benchtop, there is plenty of room for the pre-vacuum pump & power supply underneath.
No site surveys are required for tabletop SEMs, either. While full-size SEMs are very susceptible to their environment, tabletop SEMs are mostly immune to vibration or electromagnetic interference, thanks to the miniaturized components.


The power required for the SEM is simply a standard 120V/15A receptacle, providing even more freedom to move the SEM out of a lab and onto a classroom desk, a mobile lab unit, factory floor, or even at a public venue for outreach programs.
The max power consumption is only 250-400 W — similar to a desktop computer.

On a typical tabletop 72” wide by 24” deep (183 x 61 cm) there is ample space for the SEM, computer, keyboard and monitor, with additional room left over for sample mounting.
Tabletops and desktops tend to be of similar size, although many times desktops are deeper and provide even more sample preparation space.
Phenom Form Factor Specifications
Specification // Model | Phenom XL | Phenom Pharos | Phenom Pure / Pro / ProX | Typical Floor-Model SEM |
---|---|---|---|---|
SEM Size (L x W x H) | 316 x 587 x 625 mm 12.4 x 23.1 x 24.6 in 75 kg / 165 lbs | 360 x 580 x 590 mm 14.2 x 22.8 x 23.2 in 75 kg / 165 lbs | 286 x 566 x 495 mm 11.3 x 22.3 x 19.5 in 50 kg / 110 lbs | 1 m x 1 m x 2 m 3 ft x 3 ft x 6 ft 500 kg / 1000 lbs |
Diaphragm pump size | 145 x 220 x 213 mm 5.7 x 8.6 x 8.4 in 4.5 kg / 9.9 lbs | Same as XL | Same as XL | 500 x 150 x 250 mm 19 x 6 x 10 in 20 kg / 45 lbs |
Power supply | 156 x 300 x 74 mm 6.1 x 11.8 x 2.9 in 3 kg / 6.6 lbs | 230 x 255 x 75 mm 9 x 10 x 3 in 4.3 kg / 9.5 lbs | Same as XL | Built into main SEM unit |
Monitor | 531.5 x 250 x 515.4 mm 20.9 x 9.8 x 20.3 in 6.7 kg / 14.8 lbs | Same as XL | Same as XL | Two monitors of the same size |
Workstation PC | Lenovo P330 92.5 x 305.6 x 343.5 mm 3.6 x 12 x 13.5 in 8 kg / 17.6 lbs | Same as XL | Same as XL | Full-size desktop PC 175 x 400 x 450 mm 7 x 16 x 18 in 10 kg / 22 lbs |
Recommended table size | 150 x 75 cm 5 x 2.5 ft | 120 x 75 cm 4 x 2.5 ft | 120 x 75 cm 4 x 25 ft | N/A |
Recommended load rating | 150 kg / 330 lbs | 150 kg / 330 lbs | 100 kg / 220 lbs | N/A |
Temperature | 15 – 30 oC / 59 – 86 oF | Same as XL | Same as XL | 20 +/- 3 oC |
Humidity | 20 – 80% RH | Same as XL | Same as XL | Below 40% RH |
Power type | Single phase AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz | Same as XL | Same as XL | Single phase AC 100-240 V (+/- 6%) 50/60 Hz (+/- 1%) |
Max power consumption | 300 W | 400 W | 250 W | 3000 W |
More Information | Learn more about Phenom XL | Learn more about Phenom Pharos | Learn more about Phenom Pure / Phenom Pro / ProX |