Nims, Japan's only independent institution specialising in materials science, has bought FEI's Titan3 80-300 scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM).
This S/TEM will be one of the most powerful commercially available S/TEMs ever built.
Installation is planned for 2010 at the Advanced Nano-Characterization Center in Tsukuba, Japan.
The Titan will enable Nims researchers to create images that resolve individual atom columns and identify the atomic species in those columns.
Koji Kimoto, a senior researcher at Nims, said: 'One of the most important applications for the new instrument will be element-specific imaging of individual atomic columns in crystalline materials.
'Performance in this application depends on achieving the greatest current in the smallest spot with the least energy spread and maximizing stability within the timeframe of the acquisition.' The Titan's aberration correction enables more current in a smaller spot for higher spatial resolution, better signal to noise ratios and acceptable acquisition times.
The system's monochromator allows the user to resolve tiny differences in the energy loss spectra used to identify the atoms.
The Titan's X-FEG electron source contributes to superior spatial and spectral performance.
These all help to provide sub-Angstrom atomic-scale spatial resolution in both STEM and TEM imaging and the highest achievable energy resolution.
The Titan3 also includes an enclosure that reduces environmental interference, providing greater stability and eliminating the need for lab improvements.
