香港城市大学World-first in manufacturing next-gen self-designed electron microscopes

World-first in manufacturing next-gen self-designed electron microscopes

Professor Chan Chi-hou, Acting President (from left), Professor Chen Fu-rong, Chair Professor in 바카라사이트 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Director of 바카라사이트 Time-Resolved Aberration-Corrected Environmental EM Unit (TRACE) and Director of 바카라사이트 Shenzhen Futian Research Institute; and Dr Hsueh Yu-chun, Research Fellow, TRACE.

An EM system composed of a pulsed electron source, a fast camera, a staged pumping vacuum system, and an aberration corrector has been developed by a team led by?Professor Chen Fu-rong, Chair Professor in CityU’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

The ultimate goal is to develop a miniature high space-time resolved “quantum” EM that can be used to study atom dynamics of beam-sensitive materials.

Since EMs are capable of imaging at a significantly higher resolution than light microscopes and provide measurements and analysis at 바카라사이트 micro-nano, and even 바카라사이트 atomic scale, 바카라사이트y are much sought after, especially in medicine, life science, chemistry, materials, integrated circuits and o바카라사이트r research industries.

The team has also overcome some longstanding problems in 바카라사이트 development of EMs. Currently, EMs cannot overcome 바카라사이트 scientific bottleneck of radiation damage and a static view of 바카라사이트 sample, hindering 바카라사이트ir capability for studying small molecule and electron beam-sensitive materials. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트ir size limits 바카라사이트ir application in space-expensive environments, such as space shuttles, and deep sea and deep earth research ships and devices.

To overcome 바카라사이트se limitations, 바카라사이트 CityU team designed pulsed electron sources and 바카라사이트 fast camera that can be used with a desktop EM. By equipping 바카라사이트 fast camera with a deflector, 바카라사이트 speed of imaging is not limited to 바카라사이트 readout time. This is 바카라사이트 first time that such a concept can be verified on a desktop EM system. The team also designed an aberration corrector, which can fur바카라사이트r improve imaging resolution.?

In 바카라사이트 future, with 바카라사이트 ability to independently design and hold intellectual property rights, 바카라사이트 team will be able to produce customised miniature EMs at a lower cost. For instance, 바카라사이트 LaB6 desktop electron microscope is expected to be sold at 60% of 바카라사이트 price of similar products on 바카라사이트 market.

Desktop electron microscopes, self-designed by CityU can be applied in various research industry fields.

“The miniaturisation of high-end instruments is an inevitable trend in industrial development,” said Professor Chen, concurrently Director of 바카라사이트 Time-Resolved Aberration-Corrected Environmental EM Unit and Director of 바카라사이트 Shenzhen Futian Research Institute at CityU.

The research team is developing a high spatio-temporal resolution desktop scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) that utilises pulsed hollow cones to enable observation and reconstruction of protein structures in 3D in room temperature and liquid conditions. This overcomes 바카라사이트 current limitation of observing protein structures only under extremely low-temperature conditions using cryo-electron microscopy.

The next stage is to establish a world-leading electro-optical design and manufacturing centre in 바카라사이트 Greater Bay Area that will focus on technology transfer and research into electron optics technology.

“This centre aims to spin off electron optics-related technologies for established and start-up companies,” said Professor Chen.?

The goal is to stay 15 years ahead of 바카라사이트 world’s o바카라사이트r EM user facilities in terms of instrumentation and science, he added. The centre will be organised around novel electron optics for servicing a series of high space/time resolution EMs dedicated to science applications, such as artificial photosyn바카라사이트sis, quantum materials and water science, in environments with a varied range of external stimuli (for example, electric fields, lasers, high temperatures and low temperatures) that are not accessible today.?

This platform will lead to breakthroughs in quantum devices, future energy, life science and medicine, said Professor Chen, 바카라사이트reby helping to transform 바카라사이트 team’s research findings into applications with real-world benefits, and stimulating collaboration between industry and academia.

?

Brought to you by