The ASTEM (Austrian Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope) is a probe-corrected high end TEM/STEM system that is equipped for high resolution analytical research with unprecedented speed: thanks to the unique combination of a high-sensitivity SDD X-ray spectrometer (Super-X) and a high-resolution post-column energy filter (GIF Quantum) within one acquisition system, the microscope offers high speed (up to 1000 spectra/s) simultaneous EELS/EDS spectrum imaging for a wide range of analytical investigations for both light and heavy elements.

Direct-Electron-Detection for the ASTEM Microscope

The ASTEM is an FEI Titan³ G2 60–300 featuring:

• High brightness electron gun (FEI X-FEG), with monochromator to enhance energy resolution (0.25 eV )
• Acceleration voltage range from 60 to 300 kV
• CS probe corrector (DCOR) for high resolution STEM imaging (< 70 pm)
• Novel high-sensitivity energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer for fast elemental mapping with at high spatial resolution (FEI ChemiSTEM technology with Super-X detector by Bruker)
• High-end post-column electron energy filter with “Dual EELS” capability and a fast electrostatic shutter by Gatan Inc. ( GIF Quantum ERS™ from Gatan Inc.)

The adaptable acceleration voltage permits non-destructive investigations even for beam-sensitive materials, thus allowing atomically resolved analysis of delicate materials like single-layer graphene. In additions, the system is equipped for S/TEM tomography for high resolution 3D analytical investigations.
The versatile instrument enables the FELMI-ZFE to offer a wide range of highly resolved analytical investigation techniques to industry partners and to provide access to high-class analytical instrumentation for visiting scientists from Austria and all over the world.
This microscope is the key instrument in a number of research projects; these are, in particular, the FFG COIN project “ASTEM” and the FELMI-ZFE contribution to the European network for electron microscopy “ESTEEM 3”.