Laboratory for Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Focused Ion Beam applications

The facilities for scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam applications host a conventional tungsten filament SEM (TESCAN Vega 4 GMU) and a FIB-SEM instrument equipped with a field emission electron source (FEI Quanta 3D FEG). The scanning electron microscopy facilities are shared among the Earth Science departments/institutes of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy of the University of Vienna.

 

FEI QuantaTM 3D FEG

The FEI QuantaTM 3D FEG instrument is a Field-Emission-Gun Scanning Electron Microscope with integrated focused ion beam (FIB) as well as various different signal detection systems and several periphery components.
The QuantaTM 3D FEG is an extraordinarily versatile tool for material characterization in the solid state, allowing for electron microscopy at high spatial resolution (down to 1.2 nm at 30 kV) and sample nano-machining using FIB. The dual beam instrument is equipped with a FEG source electron column and a Gallium-liquid-metal-ion-source column arranged at an angle of 52° with respect to the vertical electron column. The coincidence point of the two beams is at a working distance of 10 mm. Acceleration voltages are up to 30 kV for both beams at probe currents up to 200 nA for the electron beam and 1pA to 65 nA for the ion-beam.
The instrument is equipped with secondary electron detectors for three different vacuum modes (high vacuum, low vacuum and ESEM), a backscattered electron detector (BSED) for z-contrast imaging, a forward scattered electron detector (FSD) for orientation contrast imaging, an electron backscatter diffraction detector (EBSD) for crystallographic orientation mapping, and a detector for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The energy dispersive X-ray detection system (EDX) provides semi-quantitative compositional information from standardless analysis (spot analysis and spectral mapping). Stage operations can be monitored using two CCD-cameras. Ion beam sputtering is used for cross sectioning, serial sectioning and for the preparation of thin, electron transparent foils. An OmniprobeTM 100.7 micromanipulator is used for in-situ lift-out of TEM foils. Furthermore, the system is equipped with Gas Injection Systems for Pt- and C-deposition. 
The FIB-SEM instrument is tuned to provide 2D and 3D information on microstructures, textures and compositional characteristics of geo-materials at high spatial resolution.

For further information on the FEI Quanta 3D FEG instrument contact:

 Laboratory organisation FIB-FESEM lab

 Specifications of our FEI Quanta 3D FEG instrument