Electron Microscope Facility

The FEI Quanta 3D FEG FIB-SEM enables imaging, analysis and manipulation of microstructures using a combination of a field-emission gun scanning electron microscope with a gallium focused ion beam and a platinum gas-injection system.

Applications:

• Site-specific sectioning with imaging, EDS or EBSD
• Serial sectioning with imaging, EDS or EBSD
• Site-specific sample preparation for TEM and APT
• Nano-scale and micro-scale milling, deposition and fabrication
• In-situ mechanical and electrical testing

Features:

Detectors

• Secondary electron (SE): Everhart-Thornley
• Backscatter electron (BSE): Solid State Diode
• Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX): Apollo
• Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD): Hikari

Accessories

• Micromanipulator
• Spring table and force measurement system
• Sub-stage for mechanical and electrical testing

Automation software

• Multi-site milling (AutoFIB)
• TEM specimen preparation (AutoTEM)
• Serial sectioning and imaging (Slice and View)
• Serial sectioning and EBSD/EDS (EBS3)

Data acquisition software

• Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX): Genesis
• Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD): OIM

Data processing software

• 2D images (Photoshop, ImageJ)
• 3D images (Amira, Avizo, Paraview)
• 2D EBSD data (Channel, CrossCourt, OIM)
• 3D EBSD data (Dream3D, OIM)

Specifications:

Electron optics

• FEG source, high current electron column
• Accelerating voltage: 0.2 to 30 kV
• Probe current: Up to 200 nA
• Magnification: 30 x to 1280 kx (Quad Mode)

Ion optics

• Ga liquid metal ion source, high current ion column
• Accelerating voltage: 2 to 30 kV
• Probe current: 1 pA to 65 nA
• Magnification: 40 x to 1280 kx (Quad Mode)
• Charge neutralisation mode

Electron beam resolution

• High vacuum: 1.2 nm at 30 kV (SE), 2.5 nm at 30 kV (BSE), 2.9 nm at 1 kV (SE)
• Low vacuum: 1.5 nm at 30 kV (SE), 2.5 nm at 30 kV (BSE), 2.9 nm at 3 kV (SE)
• Extended low vacuum (ESEM): 1.5 nm at 30 kV (SE)

Ion beam resolution

• 7 nm at 30 kV at beam coincident point, 5 nm at 30 kV at optimal working distance

Chamber vacuum

• High vacuum: < 6E-4 Pa
• Low vacuum: 10 to 130 Pa
• Extended low vacuum (ESEM): 10 to 4000 Pa

Micromanipulator

• Range: 240° on A-axis, 240° on B-axis, 12 mm on C-axis
• Resolution: 10^-7 rad on A-axis, 10^-7 rad on B-axis, < 0.5 nm on C-axis
• Torque / Force: 3 – 4 Nmm on A-axis, 3 – 4 Nmm on B-axis, 1 N on C-axis
• Tips: R100 nm sharp tip, R100 nm cube corner, ø1 µm flat punch

Spring Table and Force Measurement Analysis System

• Force Range: 10 nN to 50 mN
• Displacement Range: Depends on SEM image magnification and resolution

Sub-stage

• Force: Maximum 4 N, Resolution: 250 µN
• Displacement: Maximum 20 mm, Resolution 0.5 nm, Repeatability 100 nm
• Electrical Measurement: Maximum 50 mA DC using user-supplied equipment

Contact: Dr Mark Nave, Dr Adam Taylor, Dr Jiangting Wang

The Supra 55VP is a high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) that uses a Schottky-type field-emission gun (FEG). The microscope has variable pressure (VP) capability enabling the study of non-conductive materials.

Features

• Lens-mounted angular selective backscatter (AsB) detector with high crystal orientation sensitivity with sub-micron spatial resolution.
• Oxford Instruments Aztec EBSD and EDS system with a Nordlys-F EBSD detector (with forescatter imaging capabilities) and an X-Max 20 mm2 drift EDS detector.
• Variable pressure secondary electron (VPSE) detector.
• High efficiency In-lens secondary electron detector.
• High current mode.
• 0.02 to 30 kV operating range.
• In-situ mechanical testing capability via a Kammrath & Weiss system. Up to 800°C with a 1 kN and 5 kN load cells.

Contact: Dr Huaying (Maggie) Yin, Dr Adam Taylor

The NeoScope is an easy to use compact tabletop SEM with low vacuum capability for imaging of non-conductive material. It has a secondary electron (SE) detector and backscatter electron (BSE) detector that can be used when the microscope is in a low vacuum condition.

Contact: Dr Huaying (Maggie) Yin

The LEO 1530 is a high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) that uses a Schottky-type field-emission gun (FEG).

Features:

• Oxford Instruments Aztec EBSD system with Nordlys S detector with forescatter imaging capabilities.
• Retractable backscattered electron detector (BSD).
• High efficiency In-lens secondary electron detector.
• 200 V to 30 kV operating range.
• In-situ mechanical testing capability via a Kammrath & Weiss system. Up to 800°C with a 1 kN and 5 kN load cells. Tilt option for combined EBSD mapping.

Contact: Dr Huaying (Maggie) Yin, Dr Adam Taylor

The JEOL JEM-2100 is a high-performance Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with a Lanthanum Hexaboride (LaB₆) electron source for analyses at the sub-nanometre level in materials science, nanotechnology and life science.

Features:

High resolution imaging with specialist characterisation capabilities of EDS and Cryo Imaging.

Specifications:

• 200 kV TEM HR version with LaB₆ source
• Operating kV: 80 to 200

Spot diameter

• TEM mode: 20 to 200 nm
• EDS, NBD & CBD mode: 1.0 to 25 nm

Magnification range

• LOW MAG mode: 50x to 6,000x
• MAG mode: 2000x to 1,500,000x

Resolution

• Point: 0.23 nm
• Lattice 0.14 nm

Image capture

• GATAN Orius SC1000 camera: Progressive interline device, Sensor area 36 x 24 mm, 4008 x 2672 pixels (9 µm ea)
• BF and HAADF STEM detectors

Additional Characterisation Capabilities:

JEOL JED-2300T Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyser, Dry SD30GV Detector 0.26 sr

• Effective area of detector: 30 mm²
• Energy resolution (FWHM): 133 eV
• Detectable element range: B to U

Cryo TEM imaging with Gatan 914 series Cryo-transfer Tomography Holder

Contact: Rosey Squire, Dr Huaying (Maggie) Yin

The JEOL JEM-2100F is a high-performance Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with a field emission electron source for analyses at the atomic/molecular level in materials science, nanotechnology and life science.

Features:

High resolution imaging with specialist characterisation capabilities of EDS, EFTEM, EELS, and ACOM.

Specifications:

200kV TEM HR version with ZrO/W (100) field emission source

Spot diameter

• TEM mode: 2-5 nm
• EDS, NBD & CBD mode: 0.5 to 2.4 nm

Magnification range

• LOW MAG mode: 50x to 6,000x
• MAG mode: 2000x to 1,500,000x

Resolution

• Point: 0.23 nm
• Lattice: 0.1 nm

Image capture

• GATAN Orius SC1000 camera: Progressive interline device, Sensor area 36 x 24 mm, 4008 x 2672 pixels (9 µm ea)
• BF and HAADF STEM detectors

Additional Characterisation Capabilities

• JEOL JED-2300TPlus Dry SD60GV Detector
  • Effective area of detector: 60 mm²
  • Energy resolution (FWHM): 133 eV or better (at 55Fe, 5.9 keV)
  • Window: Super UTW (ultra-thin window) type
  • Detectable element range: B to U
• GATAN GIF Quantum 965 Post column energy filter and EELS spectrometer. Energy resolution 0.10 eV FWHM
• NanoMEGAS ASTAR Automated Crystal Orientation and phase mapping package for TEM
• GATAN 648 Vacuum Transfer Holder

Contact: Rosey Squire, Dr Huaying (Maggie) Yin

The JSM-7800F is an ultrahigh resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) that uses a Schottky-type field-emission gun (FEG). The system includes the JEOL Super Hybrid Lens (SHL) reducing the chromatic and spherical aberrations which leads to improved resolution, especially at low accelerating voltages.

Features:

• 4 types of detectors; upper electron detector (UED), upper secondary electron detector (USD), backscattered electron detector (BED) and a lower electron detector (LED).
• Beam deceleration with gentle beam (GB) mode provides charge balance and high-resolution imaging.
• Energy filtered imaging allowing secondary and backscattered electrons to be selected accurately, even at low accelerating voltages.
• Large depth of field mode.
• Oxford Instruments Aztec EBSD and EDS system with a Nordlys-nano EBSD detector (with forescatter imaging capabilities) and an X-Max 50 mm² drift EDS detector.
• Scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) detector with bright-field and dark-field imaging.
• 0.01 kV to 30 kV.

Contact: Dr Adam Taylor

The LEAP 5000 XR is a cutting-edge local electrode atom probe instrument with a reflectron system for high resolution by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. This technique offers atom by atom, 3D reconstruction of materials resulting in chemical analysis with near-atomic scale spatial resoltuion. The UV laser allows metals, semiconductors and insulators alike to be analysed.

Features:

• Voltage and laser pulsing mode.
• Advanced laser pulsing capable of repetition rates of up to 500 kHz.
• Specimen temperature 25 – 100 K.
• Up to 10⁸ atoms per hour.
• 200 nm field of view.

Contact: Dr Adam Taylor, Dr Ross Marceau