R&D Project FUSION

While Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) offer highly complementary insights for R&D purposes, the lack of deeply integrated systems on the market persisted for a considerable time. Classical AFM instrumentation, particularly the typical laser- and detection-units, posed challenges for integration within the confined space of SEM vacuum chambers. As a workaround, different add-on AFMs were retrofitted to SEM host systems in the past, albeit functioning as separate entities with inherent technical and practical constraints. Motivated by this gap, GETec Microscopy Inc. and Quantum Design Microscopy collaborated on a groundbreaking endeavor, culminating in the launch of the FUSIONScope™ in September 2022. This innovative system represents a paradigm shift by seamlessly integrating SEM and AFM functionalities, propelling correlated microscopy to unprecedented heights. The inaugural deployment of the world’s first FUSIONScope™ system at FELMI-ZFE marks a milestone, particularly addressing scenarios where standalone AFMs encounter limitations.

In the R&D project FUSION, supported by the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR), FELMI-ZFE aims to fully exploit the system’s capabilities beyond standard operation modes such as contact-, tapping-, and phase-mode. Collaborating with the Christian Doppler Laboratory DEFINE, novel nano-probes are under development to enable advanced simultaneous measurement operations (SMO™), facilitating diverse studies without the need for probe exchange. This not only streamlines workflows but also facilitates correlative microscopy on delicate regions, minimizing the risk of losing target locations post-tip exchange. The FUSION project further seeks to integrate these advancements in collaboration with Austrian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), aligning with the core mission of the ACR to provide state-of-the-art capabilities without substantial financial investments for those companies. This comprehensive initiative spans from infrastructure development to R&D activities, extending the possibilities for integration within Austria’s R&D landscape.