DTU Cen Annual Report for 2008

Annual Report 2008 Center for Electron Nanoscopy Technical University of Denmark Fysikvej Building 307 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark Phone +45 4525 6474 www.cen.dtu.dk Annual Report 2008 Page 2 Preface Note From the Director · Organizing student evenings, demonstrations, tours and This is the first annual report of the Center for Electron seminars; Nanoscopy in the Technical University of Denmark (DTU · Securing national and European research funding for Cen), which was established in 2007 following a generous projects; donation of 102,6M DKr by the A.P. Møller and Chastine · Organizing the annual meeting of the Scandinavian Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation. societies for electron microscopy in June 2008. The facility contains seven new electron microscopes in I am grateful to all of our core staff, colleagues and a purpose-built high-specification building. Two of the equipment manufacturers, as well as to DTU’s management microscopes are state-of-the-art monochromated aberration- and the A.P. Møller Foundation, for their hard work in the corrected instruments. The remaining instruments include establishment of the Center. two dual-beam focused-ion-beam microscopes and three I particularly welcome and encourage contact from potential smaller microscopes. collaborators to work with us to make the best possible use of the new equipment and resources. This report contains an outline of the establishment and inauguration of the facility. It also provides an account of the Center’s events and achievements in the calendar year 2008, June 2009 which have included: Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski Center Director · Completing the hiring of core research and technical support staff; · Establishing activities in research, education, service and outreach; · Completing the commissioning and testing of DTU Cen’s seven new electron microscopes and ancillary equipment; · Training new users of the microscopes; · Developing close working relationships and collaborations with other departments at DTU and with national and international academic and industrial partners; Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller and DTU’s president Lars Pallesen at the inauguration of the Center for Electron Nanoscopy Table of Contents 6 Executive Summary 7 History 9 Microscopes 27 Funding 28 Scrapbook 52 Teaching Activities 54 Media 57 Events 59 Seminars 61 Publications & Presentations 71 Advisory Board 73 People Annual Report 2008: DTU Cen, Center for Electron Nanoscopy, 2009 · Editor, Anna Rink Baagøe · Scientific Editor, Andy Burrows Layout, winwin agency A/S · Printed in Denmark by Kailow Graphic Annual Report 2008 Page 6 Annual Report 2008 Page 7 Executive Summary History Within the space of one year, the Center for Electron This report begins with a brief history of the facility. It then DTU’s Center for Electron Nanoscopy (DTU Cen) would Nanoscopy in the Technical University of Denmark has contains an introduction to electron microscopy and a not exist without a generous donation from the Møller become a fully operational facility at DTU in the areas of description of the Center’s seven new electron microscopes. Foundation, which DTU received in January 2006. The research, teaching, service and outreach. Following a presentation of examples of recent research, amount, 102,6M DKr helped “establish a world-class facility the report contains an account of the Center’s teaching with a unique suite of advanced electron microscopes in a Following its inauguration in December 2007, much activities, examples of articles about the facility that have purpose-built building.” effort has been devoted to hiring experienced staff and to appeared in the popular and scientific press, and a summary optimizing the operation of the Center’s seven electron of the Center’s events, seminars and research output for The proposal was set forth in March 2005 and the appli- microscopes. The microscopes are now used by bachelor 2008. Finally, profiles of the Center’s research scientists and cation for a major foundation was then written. The lengthy students, master students, Ph.d students and post docs, by technical and administrative staff are presented. process of ordering highly specialized microscopes began scientific and technical staff from DTU and other univer- in September 2006, and exactly one year later they were sities, and by industrial partners, while the microscope We hope that the report is informative. installed. The microscope building, building 314, was started building provides a pleasant environment for carrying out in December 2006 and the center was inaugurated within research and teaching. two years from the time DTU received the Møller Founda- tion’s donation. The microscope building By working together with other departments at DTU and with other universities and industry, both in Denmark and The microscope building is a specifically designed building abroad, the Center has established itself rapidly as a state-of- which was established for the electron microscopes at DTU. the-art electron microscopy facility. Due to the sensitive nature of the microscopes, three major factors needed to be taken into account when the building The rapid development of the Center’s national and interna- was designed. These were ground vibrations, temperature tional profile is reflected by: variations and magnetic fields. Ground vibrations and acoustic vibrations of all frequencies were factors in the • the collaborative research activities that have been estab- design of building 314 because of the high magnifications lished with other departments, universities and industry; used in electron nanoscopy research. The foundation had to • the research articles that have been published in peer- be a meter thick and the rooms vibrationally isolated with reviewed scientific journals; both wall and ceiling isolations. Magnetic fields which can • the invitations that are received by the Center’s staff to be induced by the surrounding power lines were tested and speak at international conferences; found to be less than 20 nT. Temperature variations, which • the frequency of visits to the Center by leading scientists can also affect electron beam stability, must be constant with and industrialists; less than 0.5 Celsius variation over 30 minutes. The inauguration was held on the 7 of December, 2007 as the culmination of a scientific conference with presentations from • the substantial additional grant funding that has been 11 different invited speakers. secured for specific projects. Annual Report 2008 Page 9 Microscopy and microscopes What is Electron Microscopy? 0.0002 mm. In the continuous struggle for better resolution, The word microscopy is derived from the Greek ‘mikros’ it was found that the resolving power of the microscope was (small) and ‘skopeo’ (look at). Ever since the dawn of science not only limited by the number and quality of the lenses but there has been an interest in being able to look at smaller also by the wavelength of the beam used for illumination. and smaller details. Biologists have wanted to examine the It was impossible to resolve points in the object that were structure of cells, bacteria, viruses and colloidal particles. closer together than a few hundred nanometres. Using light Materials scientists have wanted to see inhomogeneities and with a short wavelength (blue or ultraviolet) gave a small imperfections in metals, crystals and ceramics. In the diverse improvement; immersing the specimen and the front of the branches of geology, the detailed study of rocks, minerals objective lens in a medium with a high refractive index (oil) and fossils could give valuable insight into the origins of our gave another small improvement but these measures together planet and its valuable mineral resources. only brought the resolving power of the microscope to just under 100 nm. Why use electrons instead of light? A modern optical microscope has a magnification of about 1000x and enables the eye to resolve objects separated by Annual Report 2008 Page 10 Annual Report 2008 Page 11 Figure 1: The transmission electron microscope Figure 2: Schematic diagram of an SEM compared with a projector showing the column and how the image is formed on the monitor In the 1920s it was discovered that accelerated electrons made into a parallel beam by the condenser lens; this passes The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) rectangular raster over the specimen. Apart from (several) behave in vacuum just like light. That is to say, to most through the slide (object) and is then focused as an enlarged It is not completely clear who first proposed the principle other interactions at the specimen, secondary electrons are intents and purposes they travel in straight lines, and have a image onto the screen by the objective lens. In the electron of scanning the surface of a specimen with a finely focused produced and these are collected by a suitable detector. The wavelength which is about 100000 times smaller than that of microscope, the light source is replaced by an electron electron beam to produce an image. However, in 1942 three amplitude of the secondary electron signal varies with time light. Furthermore, it was found that electric and magnetic source (for example, a tungsten filament), the glass lenses Americans, D. Zworykin, Dr Hillier and Dr Snijder first according to the topography of the specimen surface. The fields have the same effect on electrons as glass lenses are replaced by magnetic lenses and the projection screen described a “true” SEM with a resolving power of 50 nm signal can be amplified and used to cause the brightness and mirrors have on visible light. Dr Ernst Ruska at the is replaced by a fluorescent screen which emits light when and a magnification of 8000x. Nowadays SEMs can have a of the electron beam in a cathode ray tube (CRT) to vary University of Berlin combined these characteristics and built struck by electrons. The whole trajectory from source to resolving power of 1 nm and can magnify over 400 000x. synchronously. There is a one to one relationship between the first transmission electron microscope (TEM) in 1931.

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