The lab’s main scanning electron microscope (SEM) is based on a modified FEI XL-40 with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) capabilities.

Modifications to the system were made to incorporate a gas injection system (GIS), video inspection, and electron beam lithography (EBL). Future modifications include the intergration of a focused ion beam (FIB) gun and 2 more GIS units.

The SEM is a critical tool in modern day research, allowing for fast in-lab analysis of nano-scaled features of samples.

Explanation of images:

(top) Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

(far left) an image of a Au liquid metal ion source (LMIS) emitter imaged with EDX, overlayed over an image of the elemental mapping of G-T-LMIS.

(center and far right) images of a zeolite formation.