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Tabean S, Mousley M, Pauly C, De Castro O, Serralta E, Klingner N, Mücklich F, Hlawacek G, Wirtz T, Eswara S. Quantitative nanoscale imaging using transmission He ion channelling contrast: Proof-of-concept and application to study isolated crystalline defects. Ultramicroscopy 2022; 233:113439. [PMID: 34915290 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2021.113439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
A newly developed microscope prototype, namely npSCOPE, consisting of a Gas Field Ion Source (GFIS) column and a position sensitive Delay-line Detector (DLD) was used to perform Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) using keV He+ ions. One experiment used 25 keV ions and a second experiment used 30 keV ions. STIM imaging of a 50 nm thick free-standing gold membrane exhibited excellent contrast due to ion channelling and revealed rich microstructural features including isolated nanoscale twin bands which matched well with the contrast in the conventional ion-induced Secondary Electron (SE) imaging mode. Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) and Backscattered Electron (BSE) imaging were performed on the same areas to correlate and confirm the microstructural features observed in STIM. Monte Carlo simulations of the ion and electron trajectories were performed with parameters similar to the experimental conditions to derive insights related to beam broadening and its effect in the degradation of transmission image resolution. For the experimental conditions used, STIM imaging showed a lateral resolution close to30 nm. Dark twin bands in bright grains as well as bright twin bands in dark grains were observed in STIM. Some of the twin bands were invisible in STIM. For the specific experimental conditions used, the ion transmission efficiency across a particular twin band was found to decrease by a factor of 2.8. Surprisingly, some grains showed contrast reversal when the Field of View (FOV) was changed indicating the sensitivity of the channelling contrast to even small changes in illumination conditions. These observations are discussed using ion channelling conditions and crystallographic orientations of the grains and twin bands. This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of STIM imaging using keV He+ ions to quantitatively investigate channelling in nanoscale structures including isolated crystalline defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Tabean
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Materials Research and Technology Department, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg; University of Luxembourg, 2 Avenue de l'Université, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4365, Luxembourg
| | - Michael Mousley
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Materials Research and Technology Department, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Christoph Pauly
- Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science, Saarland University, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Olivier De Castro
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Materials Research and Technology Department, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Eduardo Serralta
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, D-01328 Dresden, Germany; Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden D-01069, Germany
| | - Nico Klingner
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, D-01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Mücklich
- Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science, Saarland University, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Gregor Hlawacek
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, D-01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tom Wirtz
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Materials Research and Technology Department, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Santhana Eswara
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Materials Research and Technology Department, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
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Neutral Dissociation of Pyridine Evoked by Irradiation of Ionized Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen Beams. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010205. [PMID: 35008633 PMCID: PMC8745593 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions of ions with molecules and the determination of their dissociation patterns are challenging endeavors of fundamental importance for theoretical and experimental science. In particular, the investigations on bond-breaking and new bond-forming processes triggered by the ionic impact may shed light on the stellar wind interaction with interstellar media, ionic beam irradiations of the living cells, ion-track nanotechnology, radiation hardness analysis of materials, and focused ion beam etching, deposition, and lithography. Due to its vital role in the natural environment, the pyridine molecule has become the subject of both basic and applied research in recent years. Therefore, dissociation of the gas phase pyridine (C5H5N) into neutral excited atomic and molecular fragments following protons (H+) and dihydrogen cations (H2+) impact has been investigated experimentally in the 5–1000 eV energy range. The collision-induced emission spectroscopy has been exploited to detect luminescence in the wavelength range from 190 to 520 nm at the different kinetic energies of both cations. High-resolution optical fragmentation spectra reveal emission bands due to the CH(A2Δ→X2Πr; B2Σ+→X2Πr; C2Σ+→X2Πr) and CN(B2Σ+→X2Σ+) transitions as well as atomic H and C lines. Their spectral line shapes and qualitative band intensities are examined in detail. The analysis shows that the H2+ irradiation enhances pyridine ring fragmentation and creates various fragments more pronounced than H+ cations. The plausible collisional processes and fragmentation pathways leading to the identified products are discussed and compared with the latest results obtained in cation-induced fragmentation of pyridine.
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Audinot JN, Philipp P, De Castro O, Biesemeier A, Hoang QH, Wirtz T. Highest resolution chemical imaging based on secondary ion mass spectrometry performed on the helium ion microscope. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2021; 84:105901. [PMID: 34404033 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ac1e32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper is a review on the combination between Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), which is a recently developed technique that is of particular relevance in the context of the quest for high-resolution high-sensitivity nano-analytical solutions. We start by giving an overview on the HIM-SIMS concept and the underlying fundamental principles of both HIM and SIMS. We then present and discuss instrumental aspects of the HIM and SIMS techniques, highlighting the advantage of the integrated HIM-SIMS instrument. We give an overview on the performance characteristics of the HIM-SIMS technique, which is capable of producing elemental SIMS maps with lateral resolution below 20 nm, approaching the physical resolution limits, while maintaining a sub-nanometric resolution in the secondary electron microscopy mode. In addition, we showcase different strategies and methods allowing to take profit of both capabilities of the HIM-SIMS instrument (high-resolution imaging using secondary electrons and mass filtered secondary sons) in a correlative approach. Since its development HIM-SIMS has been successfully applied to a large variety of scientific and technological topics. Here, we will present and summarise recent applications of nanoscale imaging in materials research, life sciences and geology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Nicolas Audinot
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Patrick Philipp
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Olivier De Castro
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Antje Biesemeier
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Quang Hung Hoang
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Tom Wirtz
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
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Schmidt M, Byrne JM, Maasilta IJ. Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 12:1-23. [PMID: 33489663 PMCID: PMC7801799 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.12.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Scanning helium-ion microscopy (HIM) is an imaging technique with sub-nanometre resolution and is a powerful tool to resolve some of the tiniest structures in biology. In many aspects, the HIM resembles a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), but the use of helium ions rather than electrons provides several advantages, including higher surface sensitivity, larger depth of field, and a straightforward charge-compensating electron flood gun, which enables imaging of non-conductive samples, rendering HIM a promising high-resolution imaging technique for biological samples. Starting with studies focused on medical research, the last decade has seen some particularly spectacular high-resolution images in studies focused on plants, microbiology, virology, and geomicrobiology. However, HIM is not just an imaging technique. The ability to use the instrument for milling biological objects as small as viruses offers unique opportunities which are not possible with more conventional focused ion beams, such as gallium. Several pioneering technical developments, such as methods to couple secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) or ionoluminescence with the HIM, also offer the possibility for new and exciting research on biological materials. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of almost all currently published literature which has demonstrated the application of HIM for imaging of biological specimens. We also discuss some technical features of this unique type of instrument and highlight some of the new advances which will likely become more widely used in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schmidt
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - James M Byrne
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ilari J Maasilta
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Serralta E, Klingner N, De Castro O, Mousley M, Eswara S, Duarte Pinto S, Wirtz T, Hlawacek G. Scanning transmission imaging in the helium ion microscope using a microchannel plate with a delay line detector. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 11:1854-1864. [PMID: 33364144 PMCID: PMC7736698 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.11.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A detection system based on a microchannel plate with a delay line readout structure has been developed to perform scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) in the helium ion microscope (HIM). This system is an improvement over other existing approaches since it combines the information of the scanning beam position on the sample with the position (scattering angle) and time of the transmission events. Various imaging modes, such as bright field and dark field or the direct image of the transmitted signal, can be created by post-processing the collected STIM data. Furthermore, the detector has high spatial and temporal resolution, is sensitive to both ions and neutral particles over a wide energy range, and shows robustness against ion beam-induced damage. A special in-vacuum movable support gives the possibility of moving the detector vertically, placing the detector closer to the sample for the detection of high-angle scattering events, or moving it down to increase the angular resolution and distance for time-of-flight measurements. With this new system, we show composition-dependent contrast for amorphous materials and the contrast difference between small-angle and high-angle scattering signals. We also detect channeling-related contrast on polycrystalline silicon, thallium chloride nanocrystals, and single-crystalline silicon by comparing the signal transmitted at different directions for the same data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Serralta
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Nico Klingner
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Olivier De Castro
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Michael Mousley
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Santhana Eswara
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | | | - Tom Wirtz
- Advanced Instrumentation for Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Gregor Hlawacek
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
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Wirtz T, De Castro O, Audinot JN, Philipp P. Imaging and Analytics on the Helium Ion Microscope. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2019; 12:523-543. [PMID: 30699036 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061318-115457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The helium ion microscope (HIM) has emerged as an instrument of choice for patterning, imaging and, more recently, analytics at the nanoscale. Here, we review secondary electron imaging on the HIM and the various methodologies and hardware components that have been developed to confer analytical capabilities to the HIM. Secondary electron-based imaging can be performed at resolutions down to 0.5 nm with high contrast, with high depth of field, and directly on insulating samples. Analytical methods include secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (SEHI), scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM), backscattering spectrometry and, in particular, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The SIMS system that was specifically designed for the HIM allows the detection of all elements, the differentiation between isotopes, and the detection of trace elements. It provides mass spectra, depth profiles, and 2D or 3D images with lateral resolutions down to 10 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Wirtz
- Advanced Instrumentation for Ion Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg;
| | - Olivier De Castro
- Advanced Instrumentation for Ion Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg;
| | - Jean-Nicolas Audinot
- Advanced Instrumentation for Ion Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg;
| | - Patrick Philipp
- Advanced Instrumentation for Ion Nano-Analytics (AINA), MRT Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg;
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