Helios NanoLab 600

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

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).