The Quanta 3D Scanning Electron Microscope / Focused Ion Beam (SEM/FIB) dual-beam system provides:

  • Receive, characterize, and process (low-radioactivity) radioactive samples.
  • High resolution imaging (spatial resolution up to 1.2 nm) with both secondary and backscattered electrons.
  • Chemical analysis at sub-micron resolution enabled the following two systems:
    • High-speed Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDX) with input count rate up to 1.5M counts per second [Bruker Quantax Esprit Core with XFlash 7 Silicon Drift Detector]
    • Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometer (WDS) with X-ray energy resolution as low as 40 eV. Good for light elements (C, N, O) as well as resolving X-ray peaks that are too close for EDX. [EDAX TEXS system]
  • Quantitative microstructural and crystallographic analysis enabled by the EDAX Digiview and Hikari Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector.
  • Micro-milling for characterization, TEM sample preparation, and micromechanical testing purposes, enabled by the gallium ion column, gas injection system (GIS), and omniprobe. 
  • In-situ mesoscale and microscale mechanical testing and heating (up to 800 ºC) experiments, enabled by FemotoTools FT-NMT04 micromechanical stage and Deban MT200 stage.

Instrument Internal External Government
SEM $82/hr $200/hr $120/hr
FIB surcharge* $34/hr $140/hr $75/hr
In-situ testing $120/hr $310/hr $125/hr

*The surcharge is applied on top of the hourly SEM fee when FIB is used.