Equipment

Physics of Nanostructured Materials (PNM) carries out research benefiting from state-of-the-art complementary experimental methods, such as atomic resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, associated spectroscopic techniques, and scattering with synchrotron radiation. The main instruments operated by the research unit are an aberration-corrected ultra-high vacuum scanning transmission electron microscope (Nion UltraSTEM 100) with versatile extensions for in-situ experiments and a Cs image-corrected transmission electron microscope (FEI Titan 80-300). Additionally, PNM also develops physical models to clarify the experimental results, and develops state-of-the-art computational techniques based on ab initio simulations.


Microscopes

CANVAS (Nion UltraSTEM 100)

CANVAS (a system for Controlled Alteration of Nanomaterials in Vacuum down to the Atomic Scale) is built around an aberration-corrected ultra-high vacuum scanning transmission electron microscope, connecting several experimental stations in the same near-ultrahigh-vacuum. It allows preparation and growth of materials in a protective atmosphere (Ar glove box) and in vacuum (thermal and ebeam evaporators), their controlled manipulation (Specs plasma source), atomic force microscopy and mechanical testing (GeTEC AFSEM by Quantum Design), and atomic-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy (Nion UltraSTEM 100). The Nion UltraSTEM 100 has a constant-current operation mode for voltages between 55 and 100 kV with a probe size of ca. 1 Ångström. Its objective area has been modified for experiments in controlled atmospheres between 10-10 and 10-6 mbar and laser heating through a view port.


Contact: Clemens Mangler or Jani Kotakoski (PNM)
Location: Universitätssternwarte, PNM Laboratory
Phone: +43-1-4277-42888

FEI Titan 80-300

Transmission electron microscope from Thermo Fisher with an aberration corrector (CEOS Cs image corrector) an SFEG electron source, Gatan Imaging Filter, Gatan Tridiem 863 camera, EDX system, and capabilities for tomography, scanning transmission electron microscopy, as well as liquid-phase and in-situ microscopy (mechanical, thermal and electric). Available acceleration voltages range from 80 to 300 kV (currently aligned at 80 kV, 200 kV, and 300 kV).


Contact: Christian Rentenberger (PNM)
Location: Universitätssternwarte, PNM Laboratory
Phone: +43-1-4277-42888

LVEM5 Mini-TEM

Delong Instruments Low-Voltage Electron Microscope (LVEM5) with an acceleration voltage of 5 kV. The microscope can be operated in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED) modes, as well as as an scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM).


Contact: Clemens Mangler (PNM)
Location: Boltzmanngasse 5, 3216-17
Phone: +43-1-4277-42XXX


Other instrumentation