FEI Helios NanoLab 650 Focused Ion Beam SEM
The FEI Helios NanoLab 650 FIB‑SEM has a Schottky‑type field emission electron gun and a gallium ion beam column. The 'scope is designed for ultra high-resolution surface imaging (down to the nanometre level) using in‑lens, Everhard‑Thornley and backscatter detectors. EDAX Secondary electron detector systems allow us to analyze the elemental composition of small areas of the sample, and EDAX Hikari EBSD allows analysis of crystalline structure. The instrument has a very large chamber, allowing imaging of surface details of relatively large samples (several centimetres in any dimension), and a rapid sample loader for small samples, that allows us to change samples without breaking the vacuum in the sample chamber, facilitating high throughput. The instrument has a variety of sample holders. The Helios has a cryostage, that can cool samples to liquid nitrogen temperature. The gallium ion beam can be used to image samples, but its main purpose is, at high power, to act as a molecular scalpel that can remove a 50 nanometre slice from the surface of a sample, exposing new structure. Repeated cycles of imaging and ion‑beam cutting are used to generate image stacks that are reconstructed to show 3 dimensional structure at the cellular and subcellular scale.

Specifications / Capabilities:

• up to 30 keV electron beam energy
• up to 30 keV ion beam energy and 60 nA ion beam current
• 5-axis stage
• silicon drift detectors (30 mm^2)
• high resolution electron backscatter diffraction system
• cathodoluminescence system
• cryo stage and sample preparation system
• nano-manipulator system for TEM sample prep
• scanning transmission electron microscopy detector
• Everhardt-Thornley detector, through-the-lens detector, ICE detector