The facility uses powerful microscopes and supporting instrumentation to create the highest- possible resolution images and diagnostics of specimens.
The Advanced Microscopy Facility supports a variety of areas, including researchers working on fuel cell development, the growth of protein crystals, material sciences, biology, neurobiology, optoelectronics, medicine and pharmacology. The facility specializes in electron holography, high-resolution electron microscopy and analytical electron microscopy. The centrepiece of the facility is the STEHM, the Scanning Transmission Electronic Holography Microscope, which is the most powerful microscope built by a manufacturer to date. Using STEHM, researchers will be able to take high-resolution images at the picometre level — 1,000 times smaller than nanotechnology. This next generation of electron microscopes allows researchers to measure, map and manipulate atoms. More than 100 researchers can access the facility and are available for collaboration.
- Transmission Electron Microscopy
- Scanning transmission electron microscopy
- Analytics, holography, electron vortex beams
- 360 tomography
- Cryo-transmission electron microscopy
- Focused ion milling
- Zone and plasma cleaning
- Healthcare and social services
Specialized labs and equipment
| Equipment | Function |
|---|---|
| Hitachi HF-3300V scanning transmission electron holography microscope (STEHM) | For high-resolution imaging through specimens up to the pico range. Eels and gif for analysis. Energy-dispersive spectrometry for X-ray analysis. Holography for materials analysis. Diffraction. tomography. electron vortex beams. |
| Hitachi Field Emission S-4800 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) | High-resolution SEM with 1 nm resolution, energy-dispersive spectrometry for X-ray analysis, backscatter detector. |
| Hitachi FB-2100 Focused Ion Beam (FIB) | System with 6-nm resolution for cutting materials for scanning electron microscope or transmission electron microscopy preparation. It can weld items in the beam and cut hardest materials. |
| Fischione 1010 Ion Mill | Clean and thin surfaces of fibbed material; a precision milling and polishing system for creating high-quality specimens. |
| Fischione 1020 Plasma Cleaner | Remove hydrocarbons/contaminants from surfaces. |
| Cressington 208C Carbon Coater | Provides materials with a conductive layer of carbon before going into the scanning electron microcopy or focused ion beam. |
| Anatech Hummer IV sputter coater | Provides materials with a conductive layer of gold/paladium before going into the scanning electron microscopy or focused ion beam. |
| Form 1 3D Printer | Rapid prototyping. |
Private and public sector research partners
- Hitachi High Technologies Canada
- CEOS (Corrected Electron Optical Systems)
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Short movie on STEHM and Dr. Rodney Herring. | http://vimeo.com/groups/focusforwardfilms/videos/51889585 |