SuperSTEM - the UK aberration-corrected STEM facility
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: School of Engineering
Abstract
Electron microscopes allow scientists to see and analyse solid materials on the atomic scale. Conventional electron microscopes suffer from aberrations which limit their ability to resolve fine detail. These aberrations can now be corrected, just as defects in human vision can be corrected by glasses. The SuperSTEM project has involved the development and testing of two special aberration-corrected microscopes, the second of which is being installed at the end of 2005. These microscopes enable scientists to determine the nature and position of specific atoms and small groups of atoms in materials such as semiconductor devices, catalysts and environmental particulates. This proposal is to enable the two SuperSTEM microscopes to produce experimental results for applications a range of fields of scientific and technological importance and to give UK researchers and students world-leading expertise in analytical techniques.Among the things we propose to do are:* Develop smart ways of collecting information, so that we can look at a single column of atoms for a very long time, even if it is moving slightly.* Develop new ways of simulating what atoms and crystal defects should look like in an aberration-corrected STEM, so that we can interpret what we see by comparison with predicted images.* Seek collaborators to develop the understanding of the energy loss process as the probe becomes smaller than the atom spacing * Develop a new type of x-ray detector so that we can analyse at the atomic scale using either or both x-rays and energy loss spectrometers, whichever is most appropriate.* Determine where dopants atoms are in small semiconductor device structures which rely on only a few atoms to operate.* Analyse the atoms which are most significant to the operation or effect of catalysts, strong materials, pollutant particles, quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles and iron in the liver.* Train the next generation of scientists who will be able to exploit this excellent technology for the benefit of mankind.
Organisations
Publications
Azough F
(2016)
Tungsten Bronze Barium Neodymium Titanate (Ba(6-3n)Nd(8+2n)Ti(18)O(54)): An Intrinsic Nanostructured Material and Its Defect Distribution.
in Inorganic chemistry
Bosman M
(2007)
Two-dimensional mapping of chemical information at atomic resolution.
in Physical review letters
Gass MH
(2008)
Free-standing graphene at atomic resolution.
in Nature nanotechnology
Hansen LP
(2011)
Atomic-scale edge structures on industrial-style MoS2 nanocatalysts.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
MacLaren I
(2013)
Novel Nanorod Precipitate Formation in Neodymium and Titanium Codoped Bismuth Ferrite
in Advanced Functional Materials
Pan YH
(2009)
3D morphology of the human hepatic ferritin mineral core: new evidence for a subunit structure revealed by single particle analysis of HAADF-STEM images.
in Journal of structural biology
Reaney I
(2012)
Defect chemistry of Ti-doped antiferroelectric Bi0.85Nd0.15FeO3
in Applied Physics Letters
Sader K
(2010)
Smart acquisition EELS
in Ultramicroscopy
Srivastava D
(2016)
Tuning the thermoelectric properties of A-site deficient SrTiO3 ceramics by vacancies and carrier concentration.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
| Description | SuperSTEM has been funded by EPSRC for the past 10 years as a facility for aberration corrected (analytical) scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM) and was the first facility in Europe to adopt aberration correction by incorporating a Nion quadrupole-octupole correction system into a VG STEM in spring 2002. SuperSTEM was established as a user facility at the STFC Daresbury Laboratory and has proven to be a cost effective means for the UK research community to investigate crucial material properties that would otherwise be inaccessible. It has made critically important contributions to our understanding of the nano-structure, formation and properties of materials as diverse as perovskites, quantum dots, nano-wires, nano-tubes, graphene, grain boundaries in oxides, heterogeneous catalysts, nuclear reactor components, semiconductors, sensors and fuel cells. For example, since 2006 there has been a strong association with the recent Nobel Prize winning work of Geim's group on graphene. It has also provided important insight into the mechanisms of bio-mineralisation in storage proteins, the potential toxicity of nanoparticles and the use of nanoparticles in drug delivery as well as fundamental electron transport studies. During the recent (5 year) period 2007-2011 over 1800 user days (defined as an 8 hour day) have been provided for 130 different users from a large variety of groups and institutions. These are predominantly UK-based academics but include a significant proportion of high level users from overseas as well as industrial users (e.g. Shell, IBM, AMD, Johnson-Matthey, Haldor Topsoe, Statoil, Qinetiq). The facility also provides training in aberration correction techniques, including all aspects of experimental measurement, theoretical modelling and data analysis. As well as being an important user facility, SuperSTEM has a strong track record in the development of instrumentation, software, data acquisition and interpretation; of particular note being the challenging application of AC-STEM to radiation sensitive materials. |
| Exploitation Route | There is currently limited exploitation by non-academic organisations of access to SuperSTEM through the purchase of beam time for confidential studies, but that remains a possibility if the study is well defined and time limited. However the output from SuperSTEM has, and continues to inform, materials based industries as they improve existing technologies and develop new ones. For example, SuperSTEM provided the first real images of single layer graphene and is involved in academic studies of the development of graphene-based applications (see for example V. Nicolosi's patents on super-capacitors and batteries or inkjet printing of graphene electronics). Much fundamental work on the interaction of metals with graphene has also originated at SuperSTEM. The work to confirm the edge structure of industrial style MoS2 nano-catalysts could also prove to be significant for Haldor Topsoe. In terms of the instrumentation, we have developed and exploited the concept of Smart Acquisition for beam sensitive materials which has been picked up and will feature in the control systems for future STEM instruments. Also the improvement to FIB methodologies for making samples thin enough for detailed examination has received much attention and is being copied by others, including industry. The main exploitations routes are publication in high quality journals (48 between the end of the grant until Dec 2012) and extensive presentations (including invited talks) at national and international conferences and seminars at universities and other institutions in the UK and overseas given by the staff scientists and management team (51 in the same period). All current and new users enter into a collaboration with at least one of the staff scientists, which leads to growing involvement in the user's core science and generation of further studies. In addition a stand was taken at the EMC 2012 conference in Manchester to advertise our capabilities and access routes. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Electronics,Energy,Environment,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| URL | http://www.superstem.org |
| Description | SuperSTEM was established as a user facility at the STFC Daresbury Laboratory and has proven to be a cost effective means for the UK research community to investigate crucial material properties that would otherwise be inaccessible. It has made critically important contributions to our understanding of the nano-structure, formation and properties of materials as diverse as perovskites, quantum dots, nano-wires, nano-tubes, graphene, grain boundaries in oxides, heterogeneous catalysts, nuclear reactor components, semiconductors, sensors and fuel cells. For example, since 2006 there has been a strong association with the recent Nobel Prize winning work of Geim's group on graphene. It has also provided important insight into the mechanisms of bio-mineralisation in storage proteins, the potential toxicity of nanoparticles and the use of nanoparticles in drug delivery as well as fundamental electron transport studies. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | EPSRC |
| Amount | £4,499,509 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RE-10-0005-EPSRC-STEM |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2011 |
| End | 09/2016 |
| Description | Summer schools on aberration corrected electron microscopy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Awareness raising of the advantages of aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and analysis Large number of requests for further information and access to the facility. Many delegates said that the summer schools gave them a sound foundation on which to base further studies using electron microscopy and analysis. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2010 |
| URL | http://superstem.org |