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

微结构和纳米结构研究所（IMN）运行纳米分析和电子显微镜中心（CENEM）的电子显微镜设施，这是弗里德里希-亚历山大-埃尔朗根-纽伦堡大学（FAU）的中央用户设施和能力单位。CENEM为FAU的研究人员提供了用于先进材料表征的高分辨率和纳米分析技术。在扫描电子显微镜（SEM）领域，CENEM配备了台式SEM和SEM/FIB双光束系统。在过去的几年里，IMN在SEM/STEM领域取得了重大发展，包括各种原位技术/应用和定制的透射衍射装置。由于CENEM的两个像差校正TEM和CENEM的X射线显微镜/Nano-CT对FIB样品制备的需求不断增加，SEM/FIB只剩下有限的时间用于专门的纳米材料SEM研究，这在各种合作研究项目中是非常必要的，并且用于快速发展的低kV SEM/STEM领域的进一步方法开发。因此，我们申请了专用的高分辨率SEM/STEM，用于新兴纳米材料的多维分析。新的显微镜结合自己的方法发展将是独一无二的FAU，并将显着扩展CENEM的研究能力在i）光束敏感材料的关键领域，ii）低维材料，iii）原位显微镜和iv）高通量和相关工作流程。为此，仪器需要配备适合低kV和低剂量操作、无场和低真空模式的高分辨率电子柱、真空/惰性气体传输模块、用于STEM的最先进检测器、用于透射电子衍射的超快速和高灵敏度相机、多维样品保持器、用于晶体学/化学分析的低kV优化EBSD/TKD和EDXS检测器，用于原位研究的纳米操纵器，以及直接访问光束参数和扫描发生器，以实现同步4D-STEM研究。所需仪器的一个特别重点在于开发透射衍射和SEM原位研究的新方法和设备，例如，我们将通过一个非常先进的透射衍射系统来增强我们定制的低能纳米衍射（LEND）装置，用于轴上透射衍射，为光束敏感和低维材料的研究提供独特的机会。此外，提出了一种宽束离子磨系统作为制备工具，能够大规模地获得高质量的表面和横截面样品，用于专用分析技术和高通量任务。所需的专用SEM/STEM与专用设备和辅助仪器将广泛用于几个当前和计划的合作研究项目。

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.