Advanced In-situ Microscopy (AIM)

Research Background and Interest:

Advanced In-situ Microscopy (AIM) group is focusing on building a new metrology platform based on in-situ (scanning) transmission electron microscope (STEM/TEM) technique tailored for industry-relevant nanoscale processes and troubleshooting the associated challenges via direct-imaging instead of laborious trial-and-error approach. In addition, we apply advanced TEM techniques such as electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy-filtered (EF-TEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) to probe the chemistry, (precession) electron diffraction (ED) to reveal the nanostructure of the materials and cathodoluminescence (CL) to study their optical properties. Using these techniques, we study a variety of physical and chemical processes of materials dynamic in solid, liquid and gas media. In-house developed customizable in-situ platform allows us to integrate and study a variety of samples. Though, our ongoing work is mainly focused on understanding and solving challenges encountered by the semiconductor industry to fabricate next-generation devices, we are open to opportunities to collaborate with IMRE colleagues as well as industries on interesting projects that require TEM study, especially in-situ TEM.

Capabilities:

1. In-situ liquid transmission electron microscopy (TEM): direct imaging of physical and chemical processes of materials in real-time.
2. Advance in-situ chemical and microstructural characterization of materials in solid or liquid state: using EELS, EF-TEM, EDX and ED techniques.
3. In-depth study of materials optical properties by combining real-time EELS and CL.
4. Micro- and Nano-fabrication: fabrication of a variety of nanofluidic devices.igh-speed in-situ TEM dat
5. High-speed in-situ TEM data acquisition and processing.