Collaborative Laboratory and User Facility for Electron Microscopy

Facilities

The Titan 80-300 Environmental atomic-resolution Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) is an all-in-one solution for time-resolved in situ studies of dynamic behavior of nanomaterials during exposure to reactive gas environments and elevated temperatures. Titan ETEM is combined with image Cs corrector, FEI?s X-FEG module and a monochromator, atomic-resolution S/TEM imaging, Oxford INCA 80mm EDX detector and a Quantum 965ER Gatan Image Filter (GIF). Gas pressures in ETEM experiments can be accurately preset from 10-3 Pa up to 2000 Pa (for N2). The ETEM is also equipped with a mass spectrometer to determine gas composition either in the gas inlet system or in the specimen area. A built-in plasma cleaner allows for cleaning of the specimen area after using a gas.
The Titan Krios G4 is a cryo Transmission Electron Microscope (cryo-TEM) operating at 300 kV for imaging frozen materials at liquid nitrogen temperature. It is equipped with an autoloader for quick exchange of samples, a Falcon4i direct electron detector with a Selectris energy filter for high resolution imaging. The microscope is optimized for single particle analysis (SPA) and also cryo electron tomography (cryo-ET) for biological materials.
The Aquilos2 is a gallium based cryo Focused Ion Beam (cryo-FIB) microscope designed for lamella preparation of frozen biological materials at liquid nitrogen temperature. The microscope is also equipped with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and also an integrated fluorescence light microscope (iFLM) for feature targeting using cryo-correlative imaging. The sample can then be loaded into the Titan Krios G4 for high resolution imaging and data collection.
Electron Beam Resolution: 0.6nm @15kV, Accelerating Voltage 200eV-30keV Ion Optics: Current Range 0.1pA – 30kV, Accelerating Voltage 500v -30kV, Ion Beam Resolution 4nm Detectors: Various SE, BSE, STEM and SI modes in ETD, TLD, ICE detector Stage:

  • XYZ Range 150/150/10mm, XY Repeatability 1µm, Tilt Range -10° to 60°, Rotation 360° (endless)
  • Max Sample Height 55mm
  • Max Sample Weight 500g
  • Various Sample Holders, including Universal Mounting Base for flat and pretilt samples, row bars and TEM samples
  • Micromanipulator: EasyLift fully integrated in SW, Z corrected, full compucentric rotation
  • Gas Injection Systems: Pt-dep, C-dep, Selective Carbon Etch

The FEI Nova NanoSEM 650 scanning electron microscope equipped with a powerful combination of advanced optics (including a two-mode final lens), SE/BSE (Secondary Electrons/Backscattered Electrons) in-lens detection and beam deceleration. In addition the Nova has high sensitivity retractable SE/BSE and STEM detectors, and can be run in a low vacuum mode (<2mbar). The piezo-driven 5-axis stage is fully computerized with reliable repeatability. Up to 7 SEM stubs can be mounted at a time. TSL EBSD package installed to allow for orientation imaging as well as Oxford Xmax 80 EDS system with INCA software for microanalysis. Two gas incection systems are mounted: one with a standard Pt precursor and a second one which can be filled with any material with feasible vapor pressure in the possible heating range of 20 < T < 60 C . The system is equipped with Kleindiek micromanipulators.
Kratos Axis Supra XPS System
The Kratos Axis Supra XPS enables studying and imaging the surface chemical composition and electronic structure of insulating and conducting solids in a temperature range from -100°C-800°C. Excitation with a monochromated Al or Ag X-Ray source gives access to different binding energy ranges and ensuring a high spectral energy resolution. Along with Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS) and Reflective Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS), different aspects of the surface chemical landscape can be investigated. The flexible Ar cluster ion-gun with variable cluster size and acceleration energy gives access to depth profiling, thereby avoiding ion induced chemical damage.

e_LiNE is the most versatile e-beam system for uncompromised nano structuring, pattern inspection, dimensional metrology and nano engineering. TFE filament technology offers ultra high resolution capabilities in all operation modes.

  • Thermal assisted field emission gun - TFE
  • Cross over free beam path
  • Highest beam current density
  • Compound objective lens for lowest beam aberrations
  • Digital controlled electron optics column
  • Fast electrostatic beam blanking
  • 100 x 100 mm laser interferometer stage
  • True closed loop piezo control for finest sample positioning
  • 2 nm XY position resolution at any working distance, write field size and SEM magnification
  • User defined write fields from 0.5 μm to 1 mm with automated calibration and selection
  • 30 mm variation in working distance
  • Easy mount of small samples from few mm up to 4 inch through front door and pull out stage
  • Kinematic - stress free sample mount
  • Automated focus setting by objective lens
  • 10 MHz DSP controlled high speed pattern processor
  • Filament Schottky TFE
  • Stage travel range 100 × 100 × 30 mm
  • Beam size ≤ 2 nm @ 20 keV
  • Beam current range 5 pA - 20 nA
  • Beam energy 100 eV - 30 keV
  • Current density ≥ 7.500 A / cm²
  • Current stability ≤ 0.5% / hour
  • Detector In Lens, Everhart Thornley
  • Minimum line width 20 nm guaranteed
  • Stitching accuracy 60 nm (mean+3 sigma)
  • Overlay accuracy 40 nm (mean+3 sigma)
  • Import file format GDSII, DXF, CIF, ASCII, BMP

The CM30 LaB6 Transmission Electron Microscope is operated at 300 kV and equipped with a Twin Lens, a Gatan CCD camera and a variety of specimen holders. This is the ideal instrument for conventional techniques such as bright and dark field imaging, SAED and high resolution imaging down to 0,3nm used for in-situ mechanical test experiments.
The CM12 is the analytical Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope operated at 120kV and equipped with a Twin Lens, a Mega View CCD camera and an Oxford INCA 80mm Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometer.

  • Low background double-tilt analytical holders
  • Single-tilt holders
  • 360 rotational specimen holder
  • STM holder for in-situ electrical measurements
  • STM holder for in-situ electrical measurements with optical stimulation
  • Holder for in-situ mechanical stress tests
  • Single-tilt N2 cooling holder (up to -178C)
  • Single-tilt heating holder (up to +1000C)
  • Gatan 636 single tilt Cooling N2 holder
  • Gatan Heating holder
  • Zughalter
  • FIM Spitzenhalter


Preparation of various sample material

  • used in sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy
  • thin conventional and cross-section samples with Ar-ions
  • accelerating voltage ranging from 0.1 kV to 8 kV
  • to a thickness of 10 nm

The cryo CLEM Thunder Imager is a wide field cryo light microscope. It is a fluorescence microscope designed for working with specimen frozen at liquid nitrogen temperature. It enables cryo correlative light electron microscopy (cryo CLEM) workflow that allows localization of small subcellular target for subsequent steps in cryo-FIB milling and cryo-TEM imaging.
Vitrification is the starting point of the whole cryo-EM workflow. The vitrobot is a plunge freezer with a humidity and temperature controlled chamber so that purified protein or cells (on a EM grid) are quickly plunged into liquid cryogren (ethane or ethane/propane mix) to achieve vitrification.