FIB SEM laser tool for high throughput millimeter scale cross sectioning and 3D characterization with nanometer resolution.
The Thermo Scientific Helios 5 Laser PFIB System combines the best-in-class monochromated Elstar Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Column with a plasma focused ion beam (PFIB) and a femtosecond laser to produce a high-resolution imaging and analysis tool with in-situ ablation capability, offering unprecedented material removal rates for fast millimeter-scale characterization at nanometer resolution.
Statistically relevant subsurface and 3D characterization
The femtosecond laser can cut many materials at rates orders of magnitude faster than a typical gallium FIB; a large (100s of micrometers) cross-section can be created within 5 minutes. As the laser has a different removal mechanism (ablation vs the ion sputtering of FIB), it can easily process challenging materials, such as non-conductive or ion-beam sensitive samples.
High-quality large volume analysis
The extremely short duration of the femtosecond laser pulses introduces almost no artifacts such as heat impact, microcracking, melting, or those typical of traditional mechanical polishing. In most cases, the laser-milled surfaces are clean enough for direct SEM imaging and even for surface-sensitive techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping.
Built on the proven Helios 5 PFIB platform, this instrument incorporates a suite of state-of-the-art technologies to provide high-performance, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) sample preparation and extremely high-resolution SEM imaging with precise materials contrast.