Unveiling the Zeiss EVO 15 SEM with EDX

We are excited to introduce the newly installed Zeiss EVO 15 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) to our Creative Engineering Lab. This advanced instrument will significantly enhance our capabilities for analyzing the microstructure and composition of ALD/PVD thin films at the nanometer scale. The SEM's high-resolution imaging, combined with EDX, will allow for detailed surface characterization and defect analysis, enabling precise optimization of deposition parameters.

Expanding Analysis Capabilities: Thin Films, 3D Printing, and Laser-Structured Materials

In addition to thin film analysis, the system will also be used for the investigation of 3D printed surfaces and laser-structured materials, providing valuable insights into their surface topography and elemental composition.

We invite you to watch the video to have a first glimpse of the newest addition to our state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities!

Hands-On Research Examples

The student projects in the CE Lab include, for example, the deposition of ALD nanolaminates in combination with PVD thin films (Fig. 2a). 
The surfaces and defects of these thin films will be analyzed by the students using the Zeiss EVO 15 SEM in order to optimize the deposition parameters. Using EDX a quantitative material analysis can be done with spatial resolution in the nanometer range .

Other areas of application include the analysis of surfaces of laser-structured materials

(Fig. 2b) as well as surfaces and defects on 3D printed metal and polymer surfaces (Fig. 3c) which are also produced in the CE Lab.

(1)  A. Hogg, J. Burger et. al., “Protective multilayer packaging for long-term implantable medical devices”, Surface and Coatings Technology, Vol 255  (2014), p. 124129, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2014.02.070