Staff and users at the Molecular Foundry now have access to a unique new microscope that combines atomic-scale imaging capabilities with the ability to observe real-world sample properties and behavior in real time.
Housed at the Foundry in partnership with the Materials Sciences Division, the new instrument is a high-stability, high-resolution Thermo Fischer “ThemIS” transmission electron microscope (TEM). The “IS” in its name emphasizes that it has been customized for in situ experiments, enabling researchers to study materials and reactions under natural conditions.
The ThemIS microscope will provide unprecedented insight into fundamental atomic-scale materials transformations that occur at solid-liquid interfaces, which is essential for making advances in battery and desalination technologies, for example.
The microscope’s customization includes the following features that make it optimal for in situ experiments:
- An image corrector for high-resolution TEM imaging.
- A “Ceta” camera for imaging a wide field of view at high resolution and relatively high speed (4,096-by-4,096-pixel resolution at 40 frames per second).
- A specialized “fast gun valve” that protects the microscope from gases that may be released during environmental in situ experiments.
- A “super-X quad-EDS detector” for elemental analysis, expanding NCEM’s high-resolution analytical capabilities.
More info:
- If you’re a researcher who wants to use the ThemIS, visit the User Program website and check out these technical specs. Questions? Contact Karen Bustillo.
- ThemIS overview
- About the National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Molecular Foundry
