Overview

Led by Dr. Belén Ballesteros, the Electron Microscopy Division focuses on the use of electron microscopy techniques for nanoscience and nanotechnology research and applications. The main aim of the Division is to provide scientific-technical support to the ICN research lines and to neighboring research centers, as well as developing and implementing novel related techniques. The laboratory has active collaborations with other research institutions and is becoming increasingly involved in European networks. Moreover, it has been selected by FEI as a Centre of Reference for development of joint experiments and workshops related with electron microscopy.

Background

Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology, with an ever decreasing size of materials and structures, brings the need for advanced characterisation with high spatial resolution to obtain a deep understanding of the structure-property-function relationships. In this context, electron microscopy has become a key characterisation tool since it provides structural, chemical and morphological information of a wide range of nanomaterials and nanostructures. Recent developments in both scanning and transmission electron microscopes have dramatically improved their image and nanoanalysis capabilities, making feasible for instance the day-to-day study of crystallographic periodicity and defects of structures at the atomic level, the analysis of the surface with sub-nanometer resolution with low operation voltage and the study of high-vacuum incompatible specimens by SEM working in environmental mode, among others.