Electron Microscopy, NMR & Mass Spectometry News

First JEOL JEM-ARM200F Electron Microscope Produces Atomic Resolution Data in Record Time at University of San Antonio

The first transmission electron microscope of its caliber to be installed, the eagerly awaited atomic resolution JEOL JEM-ARM200F TEM arrived at the University of Texas at San Antonio in January, and by early February began producing outstanding imaging results.
“Achieving raw HAADF images showing at least 78 picometer information transfer in just three weeks demonstrates the stability of this all-new instrument and the skill of the UTSA-JEOL team to quickly power up the first TEM of its kind,” said Dr. Thomas Isabell, JEOL USA Director of the TEM Product Division.

UTSA physics and astronomy department chair Dr. Miguel Yacaman, a renowned electron microscopist and nanotechnology researcher, tested the new ARM200F performance on Si <110> samples as the JEOL engineering, service and applications team worked closely together to install the TEM in UTSA’s Advanced Microscopy Lab.

“At the level of this new microscope, the potential for new discoveries is enormous,” says Yacaman, who likened the capabilities of the JEOL ARM200F for sub-atomic research to those of the Hubble telescope for intergalactic exploration.

The ARM200F represents more than 60 years of TEM expertise at JEOL and was designed from the ground up to integrate aberration correction into a super-shielded electron column that safeguards the ultrahigh-powered optics from environmental interferences.

“This first installation of the ARM200F demonstrates that JEOL is out in front in the development of stable, ultra-quality instruments and showcases just what our service and applications teams are capable of.” said Isabell.

The JEM-ARM200F enables both atom-by-atom imaging resolution and unmatched spatial resolution for atom-to-atom chemical mapping of materials, including EDS (energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) and EELS (electron energy-loss spectroscopy). The completely new electron column design integrates S/TEM with Cs correction for atomic spatial energy resolution combined with high probe currents for microanalysis.