The Gentle Asher has been specifically designed to expand the GV10x investment for sample cleaning prior to inserting into the EM chamber. The Gentle Asher Chamber, which is integrated with a GV10x, is ideal for preventing black scan square deposits.

The GVGA is not a plasma cleaner in the traditional sense since the plasma species are not accelerated but downstream with energies ≤ 30ev so ion sputter and specimen topography damage are eliminated. Atomic O2 produced in the GV10x plasma source removing hydrocarbon contamination from samples by chemical interaction that produce CO2, CO & H2O molecules which are then pumped away.