Microscopie Interférométrique et Microscopie Electronique en Transmission In Situ

The "MIMETIS" EQUIPEX project aims at developing interferential electron microscopy techniques and in-situ TEM experiments for measuring local variations of electrostatic, magnetic and deformation fields in a material or nanosystem when submitted to an external stimulus (electric or magnetic field, stress, temperature, etc.).
The two main instruments, the Hitachi HF3300 microscope (I2TEM) and Helios FIB-SEM are in operation with the expected performances since the end of 2012. After a learning phase in their use, about fifteen Researchers and engineers from CEMES are working on I2TEM and a more than twenty on the Helios FIB. A CNRS Engineer has been hired to ensure, among other things, the responsibility of the FIB and the training of the users.
Very promising results have been obtained by electron holography. A single-domain magnetic to vortex configurations changes in 20 nm iron nanocubes have been evidenced with a resolution of 1 nm. Local electrostatic field measurements have also been developed to quantify and map the number of charges appearing in an insulating nano-object. Similar electrostatic field mapping have made possible the in-situ study of the processes of electron cold field emission by a carbon nanocone.
Deformation measurements using dark field holography (Holodark) were carried out on strained devices using diffracted beams with a very wide angle and showed the advantage of making these measurements using weakly dynamic beams of high indexes. Holodark has also been used to map the local variations of the domains wall deformation in ferroelectric. New interferometric methods (splitted beams, tilted ware reference) have also been developed and published.
The MIMETIS equipment are opened to the national and European communities through the french project METSA and the H2020 Integrated Infrastructures European one ESTEEM3.