Instrumentation

Empa's Electron Microscopy Center operates a modern infrastructure of electron microscopy equipment for materials and nano-science. Besides scanning electron microscopes and (scanning) transmission electron microscopes equipped with analytical devices, the center maintains facilities for sample preparation of solid (nano-)materials. For advanced data analysis various software packages, including software for simulations are available.

Transmission Electron Microscopes

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FEI Titan Themis

The Titan Themis, operational at 80 and 300 kV, provides highest resolution imaging capabilties for analytics and particularly for in-situ and in-operando measuremetns. The microscope is equipped with a hexapole-type aberration corrector for scanning transmission electron microscope (CEOS DCOR) and a SuperEDX system. In situ sample holders from Protochips can be used for liquid cell measurements and thermo-electrical measurements. A fast gun valve provides additional safety for in situ experiments.

Main features & techniques:

  • High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (<60 pm)
  • SuperEDX system
  • CEFID EELS / EFTEM system
  • Differential phase contrast imaging (DPC and iDPC)
  • Tomography (STEM & TEM)
  • Electrostatic biprism for electron holography
  • Lorentz lens
  • FEI CETA 2 camera (16 Mpixel, up to 40 fps at full resolution)
  • Protochips Poseidon holder (dual flow and heating)
  • Protochips Fusion 500 holder (double-tilt)

    Installed: 2016

 

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JEOL JEM2200fs

The JEOL JEM 2200fs (scanning) transmission electron microscope is an analytical multifunctional microscope equipped with a Schottky field-emission electron source. It features an Omega-type electron energy filter, an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, a scanning unit and a variety of different sample holders.

Main features & techniques:

  • High-resolution imaging in TEM and STEM mode (~2 Å resolution)
  • Analytics: EELS, EFTEM & EDX
  • Tomography
  • Holders: tomography, liquid-nitrogen, heating, quartet, Be-single and Be-double tilt
  • Gatan DigiScan II

Installed: 2009

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Titan Themis 200 G3

The Thermo Scientific Titan Themis 200 G3 offers advanced TEM, STEM and electron diffraction capabilities. Outfitted with a state-of-the-art probe corrector, a resolution of <80 pm can be reached in STEM mode. A SuperX detector allows for spatially resolved EDX mappings down to the atomic scale. Further capabilities of the instrument include high-speed TEM movie acquisition, tomography and in situ heating.

 

Main features & techniques:

  • High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (<80 pm)
  • 80 kV and 200 kV
  • SuperX detector
  • Tomography (STEM & TEM)
  • CETA 2 camera with upgrade for high-speed in situ movie acquisition
  • DENSsolution heating holder (single tilt, up to 1300 °C)

    Installed: 2020 (at Empa Thun)
    Contact:

JEOL ARM200F

Owned by and installed at IBM Zurich, staff of Empa's Electron Microscopy Center jointly operates this double-aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscope with a team of IBM scientists. The microscope is installed in a noise-free lab of the Binning-Rohrer Nanotechnology Center and is equipped with a cold field-emission electron source, a high-efficiency EDX detector, a electron energy-loss spectrometer and two correctors for the spherical aberration, one for the scanning transmission mode and one for the broad-beam transmission mode.

Main features & techniques:

  • High-resolution imaging in TEM and STEM mode (<1 Å resolution)
  • Operational at 80, 120 and 200 kV
  • Analytics: EELS & EDX
  • Gatan DigiScan II

Installed: 2014

Scanning Electron Microscopes

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ZEISS GeminiSEM 460

The Zeiss GeminiSEM 460 is a multifunctional field emission scanning electron microscope with a double condenser system for high-resolution imaging and high-efficiency analytics.  The ZEISS GeminiSEM 460 is jointly owned and operated with EAWAG.

Main features:

  • High vacuum mode (HV: <10-2 Pa), standard variable pressure mode (VP: 5 - 60 Pa) and enhanced VP mode (NanoVP: 5 - 40 Pa)
  • Variety of detectors for signal optimization (SE, Inlens-SE, BSD and EsB detector)

  • Oxford EDS system (Ulitm Max 170 and Ulitm Extreme)

  • Oxford EBSD system (Symmetry S2)

  • STEM mode

Installed: 2022

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FEI Quanta 650 FEG ESEM

The FEI Quanta 650 is a multifunctional field-emission scanning electron microscopes with environmental SEM capabilities. It features:

  • High-vacuum, low-vacuum and environmental (<26 mbar H2O) modi
  • Peltier/heating sample stage
  • Thermo Scientific Noran System 7 (UltraDry EDS Detector)
  • Tensile stage
  • Variety of detectors for signal optimization

Installed: 2017

Sample Preparation

  • Ion mill Fischione Model 1050 TEM Mill
  • Plasma cleaner Fischione 1020
  • Dimple grinder
  • Tripod polisher
  • Manual mechanical polisher Struers
  • Automatic mechanical polisher: Allied MultiPrep 8"
  • Microtome Ultracut
  • Sputterer Leica ACE600
  • Carbon coater Safematic CCU-010
  • Electropolisher Struers TenuPol-5
  • Diamond-wire saw

Data Analysis and Simulations

Aside from various computer codes developed by staff of the Electron Microscopy Center, which is used for the analysis and simulation for in-line electron holography, scanning transmission electron micrographs and low-loss electron energy-loss spectroscopy, the following commercially available computer programs are available:

  • Simulation and data analysis: MacTempas & CrystalKit from Total Resolution
  • Simulations (TEM, STEM, Diffraction): xHREM from HREM Research
  • Simulation (TEM, STEM, Diffraction): JEMS
  • EELS simulation: Wien2K, FEFF8
  • First-principles programs for EELS simulations: Wien2k & FEFF8
  • Data analysis: Geometrical Phase Analysis and SmartAlign from HREM Research
  • Tomographic reconstruction: Inspect 3D from FEI and TomoJ running on ImageJ
  • 3D visualization and volume analysis: Amira
  • Focal series reconstruction: TrueImage from FEI and MacTempas from Total Resolution
  • Other software tools for microscopy data: ImageJ, Gatan Digital Micrograph, FEI TEM Image & Analysis (TIA), FEI Velox, Bruker ESPRIT, Oxford INCA
  • Various "home"-written skripts and programs are used for data analysis and simulations (based on Fortran77, Mathematica, MATLAB etc.)