Micro- and Nanocharacterization
The Micro and Nano Characterization labs allow to gather microstructural, chemical and crystallographic information about materials.
Metallography
The metallography lab provides solutions for the complete metallographic specimen preparation process, including macro photography, cutting, embedding, grinding and polishing of samples. The visibility of microstructural features can be enhanced by mildly etching the polished surfaces. For moisture sensitive materials, the whole sample preparation process can be run water-free. The prepared surfaces can be studied by light microscopes with bright-filed, dark-field and DIC imaging capabilities. A confocal laser scanning microscope allows for measuring accurate surface profiles of structured samples. Materials can be further characterized using a microhardness tester with Vickers indenter.
X-Ray Diffraction
The capabilities of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) lab include three X-ray diffractometers allowing for phase identification/phase analysis, crystal structure refinement by Rietveld method, measurement of residual stress and texture analysis. In-situ XRD experiments can be carried out in air, in vacuum or optional gas atmosphere (Ar, He, N2, CO2, H2O, Ar-H2) in the temperature range 25–1200 °C. The chemical composition of the samples can be analyzed by means of an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.
Scanning Electron Microscopy
The scanning electron microscopy lab hosts three field emission microscopes capable of high-resolution imaging with nanometer resolution. A wide range of methods and instrumentation for spatially resolved characterization of materials is available, including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) for exploring crystallographic features of the sample such as microtexture, grain orientations and orientation relationships. Chemical microanalysis is enabled by energy and wavelength dispersive X-ray (EDX/WDX) spectrometers, including a windowless EDX detector with enhanced sensitivity for low-energy X-rays especially of light elements. In-situ bending and compression experiments can be carried out with loads up to 5 kN. A nano indenter that is mounted inside the SEM vacuum chamber allows for nano hardness measurements with full control of the position of the indent on certain microstructural features of the specimen.
Transmission Electron Microscopy
A Zeiss Libra 200 Cs-corrected field emission transmission electron microscope (TEM) allows for materials characterization at the highest level of spatial resolution (better than 0.1 nm in high-resolution imaging). Besides conventional, high-resolution and scanning TEM (STEM) imaging, spatially resolved crystallographic information can be obtained by diffraction techniques including precession electron diffraction. The study of local chemical composition is enabled by analytical capabilities of the TEM-EDX and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). A full range of tools for sample preparation, including a Zeiss Auriga dual beam FIB for target preparation, is available at the TEM lab.
Contacts
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK)
- Structure and Function of Materials (IEK-2)
Room 23b
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK)
- Structure and Function of Materials (IEK-2)
Room R 23b
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK)
- Structure and Function of Materials (IEK-2)
Room 147
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK)
- Structure and Function of Materials (IEK-2)
Room 37/38