Materials and Life Sciences Capabilities:

• World’s leading DualBeam Helios 5 platform has automatic alignments to make sure that every user is able to acquire world class images for a variety of applications.
• 360 degree infinite rotation cryo stage allows for TEM sample prep with the cryo EasyLift (CLO) nanomanipulator along with making the Helios an analytical powerhouse. Heaters within the stage and CLO allow for temperature adjustment from room temperature down to approximately -190C. Good for beam sensitive samples.
• MultiChem GI deposition allows for up to 6 chemistries to be deposited and mixed in situ which makes the Helios a materials innovation engine. Presently equipped with carbon, tungsten, and platinum.
• Highest-quality, site-specific, sample preparation for TEM and APT using new high throughput Tomahawk HT Ion Column
• Fastest and easiest, fully automated, unattended, multisite in situ and ex situ TEM sample preparation and cross sectioning using AutoTEM 5 Software
• Shortest time to nanoscale information for users with any experience level using best-in-class Elstar Electron Column featuring SmartAlign and FLASH technologies
• Most complete sample information with sharp, refined and charge-free contrast from up to six integrated in-column and below-the-lens detectors
• Highest-quality, multi-modal subsurface and 3D information with the most precise targeting of the region of interest using optional Auto Slice & View 4 (AS&V4) Software
• Fast, accurate and precise milling and deposition of complex structures with critical dimensions of less than 10nm
• Artifact-free imaging based on integrated sample cleanliness management and dedicated imaging modes such as DCFI and SmartScan Modes
• EDAX Octane Elite Super Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) detector with TEAM Enhanced System Software

Specifications:

Optics:

• Elstar ultra-high-resolution field emission SEM column with magnetic immersion objective lens and high-stability Schottky field emission gun
• SmartAlign for user-aligments-free technology
• 60-degree dual objective lens with pole piece protection allows tilting of larger samples
• Automated heated apertures to ensure cleanliness and touch-free aperture exchange
• Electrostatic scanning for higher deflection linearity and speed
• ThermoScientific Constant Power Lens Technology for higher thermal stability
• Integrated Fast Beam Blanker
• Beam deceleration with stage bios from 0V to -4kV
• Minimum source lifetime of 12 months

Resolution:

• 0.6nm at 30kV
• 0.6nm at 15kV
• 1.0nm at 1kV
• 0.9nm at 1kV

Stage:

• XY range: 110mm
• Z range: 65 mm
• Rotation: 360 degrees
• Tilt range: -15 degrees to +90 degrees
• Maximum sample height: clearance 85mm
• Maximum sample weight: 500g any stage position, up to 5 kg at 0 degree tilt
• Maximum sample size: 110mm with full rotation

Leica EM VCT500

Vacuum cryo transfer system for contamination-free transfer of your sample from preparation and analysis instrument by a shuttle and load lock.

EM ACE600

High vacuum coater used in conjunction with the TFS-Helios 5 CX DualBeam with Cryo and Transfer VCT500 loader.

Software for Computational Analysis

Auto Slice and View 4.0 (AS & V4) software acquires high-resolution data by milling serial sections (slices) of a specimen with a focused ion beam and then imaging and/or mapping each slice generating large stack of images.

The stack of images and their parameters are seamlessly read from the data headers of the images with Amira and Avizo software package thus allowing the user to generate 3D electron density maps of the specimen.

Quick data transfer and fast computational image processing allows users to visualize their results while rest of data acquisition is still underway.

Automatic Artificial Intelligence software package Aivia offers the users for quick and easy segmentation results.

for imaging services, training or other questions

please contact Anindito Sen, andysen@tamu.edu.

Using the MIC? Please cite us by our Research Resource ID: RRID: SCR_022128