The electron microscopy facility at NINT is housed in an ultra-quiet space in the NINT building. The facility features two transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and two scanning electron microscopes (SEM), as well as sample preparation and computer/data processing support. The transmission electron microscopes are located in separate characterization suites with extremely low electromagnetic disturbances, temperature variations and mechanical vibrations.

The facility is oriented towards high-impact projects, as outlined in the facility rules and the proposal review process. Charges apply for most activities. Researchers can apply for support to cover costs for beam time.

Transmission Electron Microscopy

NINT has two transmission electron microscopes.

Materials Science Transmission Electron Microscope Hitachi HF 3300

Photo: Hitachi HF-3300

Experience a virtual tour of the Hitachi HF-3300

This is an advanced 300kV TEM/STEM instrument equipped with a post-column Gatan Tridiem Image Filter (GIF). Its cold field emission gun (CFEG) technology delivers superior spectroscopic performance with outstanding electron interferometry capabilities. The combination of quantitative electron microscopy techniques makes this instrument unique in its class. The excellent flexibility and stability of the microscope – mechanical and electrical – allows researchers to push the limits of electron microscopy and analyze extremely difficult samples and problems. This instrument is primarily designed for work on materials science samples using these techniques:

High resolution TEM imaging (HR TEM) in both conventional (parallel beam) and scanning (STEM) modes
High-energy Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (HREELS) with ~ 0.2 nm probe size and significant beam current
Off-axis electron holography, three beam interferometry and STEM holography
Electron diffraction both with parallel beam (the CFEG source allows for parallel beam work with very small probe sizes) and convergent beam modes
Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) chemical analysis and mapping

A wide range of holders and detectors is available for this instrument.

JEOL 2200 FS Soft Materials TEM

Photo: JEOL 2200 FS

Experience a virtual tour of the JEOL 2200 FS

This is a 200kV Schottky field emission instrument equipped with an in-column filter, which allows acquisition energy filtered images and diffraction patterns to be collected both on image plates and slow scan CCD camera. The Schottky source of this instrument is sufficiently robust to allow analysis of organic samples.

Techniques that can be used include:

Cryogenic TEM imaging in both conventional parallel beam and scanning modes
Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) at moderate energy resolution, and convenient energy filtering, diffraction and imaging
Energy-filtering Electron Diffraction, both with parallel beam and convergent beam modes
Cryogenic and high-tilt imaging and electron tomography at ~ 0.3 nm resolution
Energy dispersive chemical analysis and mapping

A wide range of holders and detectors is available for this instrument.

Scanning Electron Microscopy

Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) use a scanned, or rastered, electron beam to examine the surface of a specimen. For examination purposes, images may be magnified to show features down to the nanometre scale. Chemical information may be acquired from areas measuring several square millimetres, all the way down to one micrometre (one millionth of a metre) for thick samples and less than 50 nm for thin samples

Samples can be analyzed at temperatures above or below room temperature. Typical SEM examinations can yield the information such as:

Topography or surface relief of a sample
Morphology – shape and size of different constituents making up the sample

Elemental composition – relative concentrations of chemical elements in the sample's surface, and their distribution in the sample's different phases

Hitachi S4800 High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope

Photo: Hitachi S-4880 FE-SEM

Experience a virtual tour of the Hitachi S-4800 FE-SEM

The S-4800 is a cold field emission high resolution scanning electron microscope with many advanced features including operation at low landing energies and filtering of signals using an in-lens ExB filter. The major advantage of this instrument is its ability to access many unprocessed signals – sample, reference and beam current monitor signals. This instrument also allows separate access to each of its lenses and electrodes. This flexibility allows for the development of additional detectors and other improvements for semi-quantitative scanning electron microscopy. As a result, NINT is at the forefront of electron microscopy and NINT's customers have access to the best characterization capabilities.

Hitachi S3000N Elevated Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope

This variable pressure type SEM is capable of analyzing non-conductive and wet samples, which traditionally could not be analyzed using standard SEM methods. This instrument is ideal for analyzing biological and polymeric samples when soft and sensitive nanostructures must be preserved during sample preparation or when using other conventional electron microscopy methods. The 3000N is a tungsten filament SEM suitable for medium resolution imaging. It is set up for imaging at elevated pressures and is equipped with a four quadrants backscattered electron (BSE) detector. The instrument is also equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) for chemical microanalysis.

Sample preparation and computation support

Sample preparation facility

An extensive sample preparation facility is available for users of TEMs and SEMs. Our sample preparation facility includes the following tools:

ion mill
carbon coater
ultra-thin carbon growth chamber
cryomicrotome
grinders, dimplers and polishers

Computation and data processing

Electron micrographs acquired on well characterized and precisely operated instruments should be looked at as a matrix of measured quantitative data. This applies particularly to spectra images. Quantitative data can provide deep insight into what is being studied and can be compared and matched to simulations. NINT provides the necessary facilities and expertise to process the data as well as to produce a wide range of simulations.

More information and technical specifications on the above electron microscopes is found on the web pages of Hitachi High-Technologies Canada, Inc.

To obtain more information or to submit a facility access request, please e-mail it to: NINT_request@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.