MML Microscopy Facility

Facility

The MSED Electron Microscopy Facility consists of four transmission electron microscopes (TEM), three scanning electron microscopes (SEM), a specimen preparation laboratory, and an image analysis and computational laboratory.

The TEMs in the facility are an FEI Titan 80-300, JEOL JEM3010, an FEI CM30, and an EM400. The SEMs are a Hitachi S4700, an FEI Quanta and a JEOL JSM7100 field-emission SEMs.

The specimen preparation facility includes precision ion polishers and ion milling tools, precision thinning and lapping wheels, dimple grinders, ultrasonic coring tools, and other miscellaneous tools. The image analysis/computational laboratory has workstations with high-resolution image simulation, crystal structure building and modeling, image digitalization and processing as well as software for X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), electron tomography, electron holography, and high-resolution TEM data analysis.

Significance 

Electron microscopy is used to characterize the structure and composition of materials at the nanometer scale to better understand and improve their properties. New measurement techniques in electron microscopy are being developed and applied to materials science research.

Atomic-scale structure and compositional characterization of materials can lend crucial insights to the control of their properties. Various characteristics may be determined such as crystal structure and orientation, grain size and morphology, defects, stacking faults, twins and grain boundaries, second phase particles — their structure, composition and internal defect structure, compositional variations as well as the atomic structure of surfaces, and interfaces.

The MSED Electron Microscopy Facility provides opportunities for collaboration with other NIST staff and outside research organizations.