Instrumentation




As part of its recently renewed contract with EPSRC, the SuperSTEM Laboratory is in the process of planning a significant infrastructure investment to develop its on-site sample preparation and materials nanofabrication expertise, with the aim to provide ultra-thin, damage-free specimens optimised for atomic-resolution STEM imaging and analysis.

Microscopes

SuperSTEM 3

Nion UltraSTEMTM 100MC 'HERMES'


  • Newly-developed C5 Nion QO corrector, with direct correction up to C5,6 for high spatial resolution (< 0.7 Å at 100 kV)

  • 40-100 kV cold FEG emitter with 0.3 eV native energy spread

  • High-energy-resolution monochromator for ultimate 5 meV energy resolution

  • Flexible post-specimen optics for large EELS collection angles and flexible imaging detector setup (BF/ABF/ADF)

  • Ultrastable x, y, z sample stage with multi-holder in-vacuum magazine for convenient loading and electrical contacting capabilities for custom in situ experiment design

  • Nion IRIS high energy resolution EELS spectrometer with Dectris ELA direct electron detector

SuperSTEM 2

Nion UltraSTEMTM 100


  • C5 Nion QO corrector, with high spatial resolution (< 0.8 Å at 100 kV)

  • 40-100 kV cold FEG emitter with 0.3 eV native energy spread

  • Flexible post-specimen optics for large EELS collection angles and flexible imaging detector setup

  • Ultrastable x, y, z sample stage with multi-holder in-vacuum magazine for convenient loading and electrical contacting capabilities for custom in situ experiment design

  • ±35 ° tilt angle in 2 directions

  • UHV Enfina EEL spectrometer

  • Bruker XFlash 6T-100 SSD large collection angle EDX detector

SuperSTEM 1

VG HB501 with MarkII Nion Cs corrector


  • C3 Nion QO corrector for sub-1.0 Å probes with 80 pA current

  • 40-100 kV cold FEG emitter with 0.3 eV native energy spread

  • BF/MAADF/HAADF detectors: 0-6/35-100/70-210 mrad collection angles

  • UHF Enfina spectrometer with multipole coupling up to 19 mrad EELS collection

  • Ex-situ gas reaction cell

SuperSTEM 4

Hitachi Ultra-High Resolution FE-SEM/STEM SU9000

  • 1-30 kV cold FEG emitter with 0.3 eV native energy spread

  • BF/ segmented HAADF STEM detectors and SE, LA-BSE, HA-BSE SEM detectors

  • STEM resolution of 0.2nm and SE resolution of 0.4 nm at 30 kV

  • Oxford Instruments Ultim® Extreme Silicon Drift Detector EDS Detector

  • Compatibile with Hitachi In-situ side entry holders

Nanofabrication & Sample Preparation

Focused ion beam

Hitachi Ethos NX5000


  • Triple beam system with electron, 30 kV Ga ion and low-kV Ar ion 'polisher' beam

  • SE / BSE / STEM / EDS / EBSD detectors

  • 7-axis substage, cryo-capable side entry holder

  • Large chamber for compatibility with in-chamber instrumentation

Fischione Model 1040 NanoMill

Sample Finishing

  • Fischione Model 1040 NanoMill for polishing of FIB specimens

  • Fischione Model 1051 TEM Mill ion polisher

  • Gatan PIPS Model 1 ion polisher

  • Fischione Model 1020 plasma cleaner

  • Emitech K950X carbon coater/evaporator with film thickness monitor for depositing material and carbon coating samples prone to charging

  • Cemm CoatMaster for masking regions of interest during carbon coating

  • Fumehood with common laboratory solvents

SuperSTEM Computer Laboratory

A number of full user workstations with dedicated microscopy software are available for users. These include:

  • Gatan Digital Micrograph

  • Nion Swift

  • HREM Research plugins for Digital Micrograph, including SmartAlign, Jitterbug, PPA, qHAADF, MSA, GPA and DeconvHAADF. These plugins are part of HREM Research Affiliate Site Program

  • Bruker Esprit Software

  • Crystal Maker software, including Single Crystal

  • Wien2K

  • FEFF 9

Further Instrumentation

Depending on project requirements, further access to cutting-edge aberration corrected instruments and sample finishing facilities can be discussed directly with our staff, who will be able to direct you to the relevant facility. Additional instrumentation available within the SuperSTEM Consortium of Universities is listed here for convenience: