SCHOTT solutions no. 2/2013 > Research & Development

The scanning electron microscope Neon 40 helps SCHOTT researchers to find answers to difficult questions on developmental and damage analysis more quickly. The photos to the right show how a sample is placed inside the system. Photo: SCHOTT/C. Costard
Detective Work in the Nano World
A high-performance scanning electron microscope enables SCHOTT to work even harder on exploring and developing micro- and nano-structured materials and products. Even the surfaces of various types of material combinations can be prepared down to the nano level.
Thilo Horvatitsch
The image on the screen shows the fissured surface of a plastic foil with integrated glass particles in micrometer resolution through the electronic beam optics of the ”Neon 40” scanning electron microscope from Zeiss. The material combination shown here helps our company to manufacture a special separator foil for the energy storage systems of the future. The scanning electron microscope itself is also highly sophisticated. It not only allows for high resolution imaging of samples as small as 1.1 nanometers with the scanning electron microscope (SEM), but the focused ion beam (FIB) optics that are aligned diagonally to the electron beam also allow for preparation of the smallest surface structures by scraping off small amounts of material. Cuts through or exposure of material surfaces are possible down to the nano level with the FIB. In fact, they can be examined and prepared at the same time with the SEM and the FIB.

The photos show how a sample is placed inside the system. Photo: SCHOTT/C. Costard

Photo: SCHOTT/C. Costard

High-precision microscope and tool
The electron beam optics and ion beam optics in the CrossBeam workstation Neon 40 with an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and an FIB (Focused Ion Beam) allow for simultaneous observation and preparation of micro- and nano-structured samples. In this photograph, a protective coating is vapor deposited with the help of a gas injection system to allow for a defined amount of material to be removed inside the zone to be prepared (see micro photo to the right).Conventional preparation methods that previously needed significantly more time or could not be done at all can now be executed and more quickly accomplished with the FIB in the Neon 40. Areas like development and damage analytics will benefit from this. For example, phosphate glasses that are connected to electroconductive glass-to-metal feedthroughs showed signs of deterioration after being stored in a refrigerator, despite the fact that a protective coating against humidity had been applied. Only FIB preparation of a cross section through the corroded surface caused nano scale defects in the layer. Humidity chewed its way through it and caused the glass to dissolve. ”These types of insights enable us to improve the structure, adhesion and chemical stability of the layer and ultimately the entire glass-to-metal compound. In addition, we are able to detect defects more accurately and more quickly for internal and external customers. We are able to answer questions such as, ,What caused the system to fail?, Now, we have just the right magnifying glass we need to do this type of detective work,” Dr. Kuhr notes.

The ion beam optics FIB (Focused Ion Beam) of the Neon 40 can often do very quickly what conventional preparation methods either can't do at all or take much longer to do. Photo: SCHOTT/C. Costard