This Focussed Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) instrument combines the imaging capabilities of an SEM with the milling capabilities of an ion beam to simultaneously image and mill a sample. The FIB-SEM is routinely used for general sample milling and for TEM sample preparation. Using this capability a sample can be located, milled and removed from a specific area of interest using the Ga+ ion beam, and transferred to a suitable TEM grid.

The sample is then further milled us-ing the ion beam until electron transparency is achieved. The milling progress is monitored using the electron beam which gives minimum damage and higher resolu-tion images of the region of interest.

The instrument is equipped with a platinum gas injection system, Omniprobe micromanipulator and an in-situ STEM detector.

Slice and view and 3D reconstruction

Catalyst porosity 1Catalyst porosity 2

Dual beam focussed ion beam tomography enables the study of structural changes at nm-μm scale caused during production or during operation under different conditions for the same type of samples (e.g. porosity changes in two catalysts - shown above).

Helios images

Single slice and view image from 3D dataset

Single slice and view image from 3D dataset

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Single crystal Zr micropillar after compression to 5 percent strain

Single crystal Zr micropillar after compression to 5 percent

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TFS Helios 5 CX help and support

  • Dr Cati Ware

    Personal details

    Dr Cati Ware Research Facility Assistant (Microscopy)

    +44 (0) 7872 850079

    Location

    Department of Materials
    Royal School of Mines
    Lower Ground Floor, LG05

    Support with

    All Helios NanoLab 600 functions, and SEM and TEM/FIB sample preparation for materials characterisation