Laboratory of Microscopy and Electron Spectroscopy
Description of the group
Laboratory of Microscopy and Electron Spectroscopy is a group of professionals specializing in observation, insight analysis, 3D visualization and reconstruction of wide range of specimens, starting from engineering through biological materials. Laboratory is equipped with a high class standard electron microscopes SEM and TEM (both fitted with EDS detector
Research activities
Laboratory of Microscopy and Electron Spectroscopy (LMiSE) is equipped with four devices designed for investigations of a surface and an internal structure of various biological and materials science samples. Laboratory conducts research using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), photoelectron spectroscopy and Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS).
HR TEM
TALOS F200X Transmission Electron Microscope with field emission gun (X-FEG is equipped with Super-X EDS windowless system with four silicon drift detectors (SDD) for large field of view – 120 mm2 and with solid angle 0.9 srad. The microscope system provides the ability to adjust the accelerating voltage between 80 kV and 200 kV providing a range of conditions to observe soft, carbon-based materials such as polymers and biological samples, as well as inorganic materials such as semiconductor and metallic samples.
The microscope allows for imaging with the resolution (information limit ) of 120 pm in TEM mode and 160 pm in STEM. The Dual-Axis Tomography Holder Fischione Model 2040 allows for wide range tilt (± 70 and ± 30), and obtain unique TEM/STEM/EDS tomography, to deliver structural information about 3D volumes.
FIB SEM
Dual-beam: Focused Ion Beam and Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB/SEM) CrossBeam 540 with FE-SEM field emission gun (Zeiss) is dedicated to surface characterization of wide range of materials with the resolution up to 0.7 nm in SEM and 0.9 nm in STEM mode. The system is equipped with unique in-lens detectors (Gemini II column) allowing for high quality of an image contrast. Large area (80 mm2) of EDS Oxford Instruments detector enables fast analytics of a material surface. In the FIB/SEM mode volume information can be obtained by milling the surface, visualizations of milled surface in SEM/EDS mode and reconstruction of series SEM images in 3D. The FIB can subsequently be used to remove small volumes of material, ranging from tens of cubic nanometers up to thousands of cubic micrometers.. The Focused Ion Beam can also be used as a tool to create specimen shapes such as lamellas or needles that can be analyzed further by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Thanks to the Gas Injection System (GIS) materials that cannot be processed with the use of focused ion beam can be etched. System is equipped with four precursors: insulator (SiO2), fluorine (XeF2), platinum (Pt) and carbon (C). Three remote controlled micromanipulators allow for electrical measurements of materials and transfer of material to supports.
ESCA (XPS, UPS, AES, ISS)
XPS photoelectron spectrometer allows determining the qualitative and quantitative composition of organic and inorganic solid samples (crystals, thin foils, powder). The high spectral resolution allows for analysis of chemical states of conducting (0.48 eV) and non-conductive (0.68 eV) materials. An imaging of a sample can be performed with a spatial resolution as low as 1 micron. The instrument is equipped with an argon ion gun (operating in monoatomic or cluster mode), which allows for sample cleaning, as well as its depth profiling to obtain 3D information. The research can be extended to other related surface analysis techniques, such as UPS spectroscopy, Auger spectroscopy (AES) and ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS).
ToF – SIMS
The secondary ion mass spectrometer with the time-of-flight analyzer allows for spectral analysis and imaging of the sample surface with a spatial resolution of up to 80 nm. Additional ion guns (oxygen, cesium) allow for depth profiling, giving 3D structural information. The mass range of 14 500 u allows to analyze inorganic materials and complex organic systems as well.
Offer:
We cooperate and provide services in the following areas:
• electron diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-S/TEM);
• subatomic resolution mapping and elemental analyses based on energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS);
• electron S/TEM tomography with subatomic resolution combined with 3D reconstruction;
• scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with high-resolution low-voltage imaging;
• scanning electron microscopy analysis of large fields of view with high resolution;
• nanosize resolution elemental mapping and analyses based on energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS);
• focused ion beam (FIB) and electron beam lithography, deposition of Pt, C, SiO2 (GIS);
• micro-destructive volume (cross-section) characterization with optional EDS characterization;
• TEM lamella preparation;
• quantitative and qualitative surface analysis (1D, 2D, 3D) of solid samples (XPS, AES, ISS, TOF-SIMS);
• chemical state identification of elements in the sample, and local bonding of atoms information;
• angle-resolved three-dimensional analysis of surface films (AR-XPS);
• electronic structure characterization of the valence bands of the surface layer (UPS)