In a SEM, a beam is scanned over the sample surface in a raster pattern while a signal from secondary electrons (SE) or Back-scattered electrons (BSE) is recorded by specific electron detectors. The electron beam, which typically has an energy ranging from a few hundred eV up to 40 keV, is focused to a spot of about 0.4 nm to 5 nm in diameter. Latest generation SEMs indeed can achieve a resolution of 0.4 nm at 30 kV and 0.9 nm at 1 kV.
Beyond the ability to image a comparatively large area of the specimen, SEM can be equipped with a variety of analytical techniques for measuring the composition, crystallographic phase distribution and local texture of the specimen. Chemical composition analysis can be performed by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) which relies on the generation of an X-ray spectrum from the entire scan area of the SEM. An EDS detector mounted in the SEM chamber collects and separates the characteristic X-rays of different elements into an energy spectrum and EDS system software is used to analyse the energy spectrum in order to determine the abundance of specific elements. EDS can be used to find the chemical composition of materials down to a spot size of a few microns and to create element composition maps over a much broader raster area.
An SEM complemented with a (FIB) focused ion beam permits in addition an in-depth analysis by creating a cross-section cut that is subsequently analysed using the electron beam and the SEM/EDS detectors (slice&view). In a similar way, a 3D tomography can be generated by an iterative ion beam milling and electron beam imaging. Furthermore, the ion beam permits to cut a thin lamella out of a sample surface that could be taken out by a micro-manipulator and analysed with the electron beam in transmission using a so called STEM (scanning transmission electron microscope) detector.
High efficiency in-lens detector
Everhart-Thornley Secondary Electron Detector
Cap mounted AsB detector
CCD-camera with IR illumination
1.0 nm at 15kV
1.9 nm at 1kV
5-Axes Motorised Eucentric Specimen Stage: X = 130 mm, Y = 130 mm, Z = 50 mm, T = -3 - +70°, R = 360° (continuous)
6-Axes Eucentric Stage: X = 100 mm, Y = 100 mm, Z = 42 mm, Z’ = 13 mm, T = -4 to 70°, R = 360° (continuous)
STEM detector (scanning transmission electron microscopy)
SDD EDX system for chemical micro-analysis with 10 mm2 active area, energy resolution for Mn Kα: 129 eV or better, peak shift and resolution change <1 eV
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CNR-IOM @TS
Italy
FIB-SEM
Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopy
Ga focused ion beam (FIB)
High brightness field-emission gun (FEG)
Beam voltage: 30 KeV (FIB); 0.7-30kV
Current voltage: 1pA – 500nA (FIB); 10pA - 5nA with high stability (0.2%/h)
Everhart Thornley
In-lens secondary electron
Pattern generator for electron beam and Ga ion beam lithography
EDX system for chemical micro-analysis with 10 mm2 active area, energy resolution Mn Kα: 150 eV or better
CEA/LETI
France
Hitachi H5500 High resolution SEM
SEM
Cold Field Emission Gun
High tension from 0.5 to 30 kV
Secondary and backscattered electron detectors
STEM detector
0.4 nm at 30 kV
1.6 nm at 1 keV
Inlens pole piece
Small samples (5mm)
DESY + PETRA III
Germany
SEM @ DESY NanoLab
Imaging of surfaces in reflection mode, in scanning mode and scanning transmission microscopy (STEM), elemental analysis by EDX (point and line analysis, mappings)
High resolution field emission instrument Nova Nano SEM 450 (FEI)
Acceleration Voltage: 200 V - 30 kV
Deceleration mode
Current up to 200 nA
EDX: 127 eV @ MnKα
SE Everhart-Thornley detector (ETD)
Low vacuum BE detector
High resolution through-lens detector tunable for SE and BE mode
High resolution STEM detector for analysis of membranes and thin films in transmission
X-Max 150 EDS silicon drift detector for elemental analysis, energy resolution 127 eV @ MnKα (Oxford)
IR-CCD camera to track the sample position
Lateral resolution:
1.0 nm at 15 kV
1.4 nm at 1 kV
0.8 nm at 30 kV (STEM)
Possible translation of sample stage in x/y: 110 x 110 mm
Navigation and pattering software
Sample tilt -15° to +74°
Gas injection system for electron beam induced deposition (EBID) with Pt precursor material to write Pt based markers on sample surfaces, as e.g., markers for Nanopositioning to be developed within Joint research action 5 "Advanced Nano-object Transfer and Positioning"
All materials
Sample sizes 100 mm x 100 mm x 50 mm (length x width x height)
Ambient temperature
10-5 mbar typical operating pressure
Cross-section thickness measurement software
Plasma cleaning
ICN2
Spain
SEM – FEI Quanta 650 FEG ESEM
High resolution surface imaging, low vacuum imaging, environmental SEM capabilities and chemical composition analysis
Schottky field emission gun
Beam voltage: 200V to 30kV
Beam current: 1.6pA to 200nA
Zeiss Supra 55 VP @ Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology
SEM
Schottky field emission electron gun, Gemini column
0.1-30keV
In-lens SE detector
Chamber Everhart-Thornley detector
Retractable backscattered electron detecor (high keV)
Variable pressure (low vacuum detector)
1 nm (15keV), 1.7 nm (1keV)
Fully motorized stage,with tilt and rotation, several sample holders (flat, tilted)
Cr sputter coater for charge compensation
6" wafer loadable and partially covered, 4" fully observable, various chip sizes
High vacuum
Chamber camera
CSIC-ICMAB
Spain
SEM
High resolution surface imaging, low vacuum imaging, environmental SEM capabilities and chemical composition analysis
High brightness field-emission gun (FEG) from a Zirconium Tungsten filament.
Accelerating Beam Voltage: 200V – 30kV.
Probe current: up to 100nA – continuously adjustable
Secondary electrons (SE) Backscattered electrons (BSE) Extended vacuum mode (ESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX).
Detectors:
• Everhardt-Thornley SED • Low-vacuum SED (LFD) • Gaseous SED (GSED) • IR-CCD CCD: Infrared inspection camera • Solid-state BSED
•High-vacuum - 1.2nm at 30kV (SE) - 2.5nm at 30kV (BSE) - 3.0nm at 1kV (SE)
• Low-vacuum - 1.5nm at 30kV (SE) - 2.5nm at 30kV (BSE) - 3.0nm at 3kV (SE)
• Extended vacuum mode (ESEM) - 1.5nm at 30kV (SE)
Chamber • 284mm left to right • 10mm analytical WD • 8 ports • EDX take-off angle: 35°
4-axis motorized stage • Eucentric goniometer stage • X,Y = 50mm • Z = 50mm (25mm motorised) • T = -15° - to +75° (manual) • R = 360° continuous • Repeatability: 2µm
• High vacuum: < 6e-4 Pa
• Low vacuum: 10Pa – 130Pa
• Environmental mode: 10Pa – 4000Pa
The microscope also features an EDS detector designed for light elements starting from Be, with an energy resolution of 132 kV. This tool enables the chemical analysis with a high lateral resolution (point analyses and elemental mapping), as required for the characterization of complex multicomponent nanostructured materials.
The microscope is also equipped with RAITH e-beam for lithography and nano-lithography.
EURONANOLAB
France
SEM at EURONANOLAB - CEITEC
EURONANOLAB
France
SEM at EURONANOLAB - FEMTO-ST
EURONANOLAB
France
SEM at EURONANOLAB - MMI
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no
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no
EURONANOLAB
France
SEM at EURONANOLAB - IMT
C2N-CNRS
France
SEM MAGELLAN 400L
eXtra High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope. Equipped with a STEM detector, an EDS INCA system and a vCD detector (for BSED at low voltage).
Electron gun: FEG Schottky (+"UniColor" monochromator)
Voltage: 200V - 30kV
Current: 1.6 pA to 100 nA
Detectors: SE (ETD, TLD), BSE (vCD), EDS X-Max (50mm^2), STEM
Magnification: x30 to 2000000x (Polaroïd)
Anticontaminator (cold trap), plasma cleaner
Autoloader
Column Elstar (no mechanical alignment)
JRC - ISPRA
Italy
Scanning Electron microscope
The Dual Beam SEM / FIB is used for nanoscale imaging, material machining and analysis. It combines ultra-high resolution field emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) etching and deposition.
EURONANOLAB
France
SEM at EURONANOLAB - IMM
CNR-DSCTM
Italy
FE-SEM at CNR-DSCTM - ISTEC
Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis
W-ZrO2 source with Schottky effect and hot cathode gun
Gemini ™ electro-optical column (ZEISS) with no electromagnetic crossover lenses, with beam booster (+ 8kV) on the liner, for low electronic acceleration voltages (EHT, down to 100 eV) observations and High-Current Mode on probe current, with 100 eV EHT at 30KeV
Detector Everhart-Thornley for detection of secondary electrons, SE2;
In-Lens coaxial annular detector for low energy electrons, SE1;
ASB-CBZD 4-sector ring detector (Angular Selective BSE) with topo-phase effect for backscattered secondary electrons (> 50 eV);
High resolution Imaging (~ 0.1nm)
Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy micro-analysis system (EDS) device Oxford Energy X-Act, with 10 mm² active area SDD detector, interfaced by INCA software for compositional, point and area analysis.
STEM (Scanning transmission electron microscopy) probe is installed (Zeiss) with 12X specimen stage carousel with multiple Si diodes detectors, for signals in bright field (BF) and dark field (DF), both from the annular detector DF (ADF), and from the segments prepared for the high degrees angles (HAADF).
Resolution up to 125 eV (measured according to ISO 15632: 2002)
INL
Portugal
Quanta 650 ESEM
SEM imaging with a resolution of about 1 nm at 30 kV; Low vacuum/Environmental SEM Imaging of uncoated materials; Cooling/Heating stage (in-situ): -20°C to 1500°C
AFM is a surface sensitive technique permitting to obtain a microscopic image of the topography of a material surface and certain properties (like friction force, magnetization properties…). Typical lateral image sizes are within a range of only a few Nanometers to several Micrometers, and height changes of less than a Nanometer.
XRD provides non-destructive information on the structural order of a material. At large scattering angles XRD permits to identify different crystal phases and to quantify lattice distances and crystalline volume fractions. At low angles of incidence the surface roughness of a single crystal and the thickness of a deposition layer can be obtained.
XPS is a surface spectroscopic technique for quantitative measurements of the elemental composition or stoichiometry and the chemical state of the present elements, like their oxidation state and chemical bonds. XPS is highly surface sensitive, giving chemical and binding energy information from the a narrow region close to the surface.
Laser patterning is a technique for the controlled patterning of materials at micro- and nano-scales. It offers the ability to directly write patterns on the surface and complex 3D channels into the bulk of solid materials, also biomaterials. Applications can range from microfluidic systems and sensors to tissue engineering scaffolds.
Raman spectroscopy (RS) investigates the vibrational properties of a sample and provides chemical as well as structural information. RS does not require any specific sample preparation, size or condition and may be combined with micron/nano spatial resolution when operated using a confocal microscope/TERS or SNOM configuration.
