At the end of the summer, the Chair of Physical Metallurgy was able to realize a major and cost-intensive investment. A dual-beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM), the ZEISS Crossbeam 550, was successfully commissioned following training and installation.
In addition to the ion column, which enables precise site-specific preparation of microstructural constituents for further microstructural, mechanical, or chemical analysis, the microscope is equipped with an electron column (double condenser) that allows continuous control of accelerating voltage and probe current. Together with two EDX detectors and one EBSD detector for chemical and crystallographic analysis, this allows for entirely new insights into the microstructure of materials and their relation to properties.
The EBSD detector can process up to 6000 Kikuchi patterns per second, allowing the analysis of large sample areas. This will also make it possible to perform the previously very time-consuming analysis of local strains over larger regions. Additionally, a detector configuration was selected that offers significantly improved indexing results, when analyzing crystallography in transmission.
A windowless EDX detector now allows for an improved analysis of light chemical elements such as boron, but—thanks to its high sensitivity at low accelerating voltages—also the chemical analysis of very small phases or precipitates (>100 nm).
The instrument has already been successfully used for first measurements and represents a strategically important investment in the field of high-resolution analytics and sample preparation. Combined with the atom probe tomography lab located at the chair, this will further strengthen one of the department’s core competences.
We are excited to turn the improved research and analytical capabilities of the Crossbeam 550into new scientific insights.
