Dedicated high-resolution SEM/STEM for multidimensional analysis of emerging nanomaterials

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The Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research (IMN) runs the electron microscopy facility of the Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), a central user facility and competence unit of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). CENEM provides FAU’s researchers with high-resolution and nanoanalytical techniques for advanced materials characterization. In the area of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) CENEM is equipped with a Tabletop SEM and an SEM/FIB dualbeam system. Over the past years IMN has achieved significant developments in the field of SEM/STEM including various in situ techniques/applications and a custom-built setup for transmission diffraction. Due to the increasing demand of FIB sample preparation for CENEM’s two aberration-corrected TEMs and CENEM’s X-ray microscope/Nano-CT, only limited time at the SEM/FIB is left for dedicated SEM investigations of nanomaterials, highly demanded in various collaborative research projects, and for further methodological developments in the quickly evolving field of low-kV SEM/STEM. Therefore we apply for a dedicated high-resolution SEM/STEM for multidimensional analysis of emerging nanomaterials. The new microscope combined with own methodological developments will be unique at FAU and will significantly extend CENEM’s research capabilities in the key areas of i) beam sensitive materials, ii) low-dimensional materials, iii) in situ microscopy and iv) high-throughput & correlative workflows. To achieve this, the instrument needs to be equipped with a high resolution electron column suitable for low-kV and low-dose operation, field-free and low-vacuum modes, a vacuum/inert gas transfer module, state-of-the-art detectors for STEM, an ultra-fast and highly sensitive camera for transmission electron diffraction, a multi-dimensional sample holder, low-kV optimized EBSD/TKD and EDXS detectors for crystallographic/chemical analyses, nanomanipulators for in situ studies, as well as direct access to beam parameters and scan generator to enable synchronized 4D-STEM studies. A particular focus of the required instrument lies on the development of new methods and equipment for transmission diffraction and in situ studies in the SEM, e.g. we will enhance our custom-built Low-Energy Nano Diffraction (LEND) setup for on-axis transmission diffraction by a significantly advanced transmission diffraction system providing unique opportunities for investigations of beam sensitive and low-dimensional materials. Furthermore, a broad beam ion mill system is proposed as preparation tool enabling high quality surface and cross section samples on a large scale for dedicated analysis techniques and high-throughput tasks. The required dedicated SEM/STEM with specialized equipment and accessory instrumentation will be extensively used in several current and planned collaborative research projects.