In situ SEM testing platforms

The Alemnis standard assembly is highly effective for measuring the micromechanical properties of materials and analysing the local mechanical behaviour of individual microstructural units.

With a wide range of indenter tip geometries and careful experimental design, we can perform various types of micromechanical tests, such as fibre bending, push-out testing, and powder compression.

These tests are often combined with focussed ion beam (FIB) milling of small-scale specimens and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), enabling the testing of small-scale samples with known crystal orientations and well-defined geometries. This approach allows for the exploration of the fundamental properties of materials during deformation and fracture. 

Fibre push-out tests of a ceramic matrix composite [1]. 

Microcantilever bending test of Zr3AlC2 MAX phase. 

Micropillar compression test of hydrides in zirconium [2]. 

These two stages are ideal for testing the mechanical properties and observing the failure processes of larger-scale specimens under tension, compression, and bending configurations, providing a more direct representation of material degradation and failure mechanisms seen in real-world engineering applications.

The 2 kN stage also supports in situ EBSD analysis and heating up to 1000 °C. 

3-point bending test of an alumina-steel composite. Courtesy of Dr Shitong Zhou. 

2D strain maps on the surface of a zirconium sample during tensile test.

Microstructural evolution during in situ creep test of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu solder [3].

The Murano heating stage is designed for in situ heating experiments (up to 950°C), making it suitable for studying thermal processes such as phase transformation and thermal stress-induced degradation.

The facility also supports in situ EBSD characterisation with a pre-tilted stage holder and a Bruker high-temperature phosphor. 

In situ EBSD characterisation of blocky α grain growth in zirconium [4]. 

In situ EBSD characterisation of the microstructural evolution of Cu/Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu solder joint during thermal cycling [5]. 

The C1003 cryo stage operates in the temperature range between -185 °C and 400 °C, and is ideal for studying temperature-sensitive materials, preserving hydrated samples like biological tissues, preventing beam damage to soft polymers or volatile compounds, and enabling the observation of dynamic temperature-dependent phenomena such as phase transitions and structural changes in materials.

The stage is currently being used to understand the low-temperature behaviour of various materials, including polymer composites, for liquid hydrogen storage. 

References 

[1] O. Gavalda-Diaz et al., Acta Mater., 215 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2021.117125 

[2] S. Wang et al., Acta Mater., 200 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.09.038 

[3] T. Gu et al., Acta Mater., 196 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.06.013  

[4] R. M. Birch & T. B. Britton, Acta Mater., 278 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120151 

[5] T. Gu et al., Scripta Mater., 175 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2019.09.003 

* We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Professor Ben Britton, whose support helped establish some of these facilities.