Applications

CIQTEK FIB-SEM Practical Demonstration Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) are essential for various applications such as defect diagnosis, repair, ion implantation, in-situ processing, mask repair, etching, integrated circuit design modification, chip device fabrication, maskless processing, nanostructure fabrication, complex nano-patterning, three-dimensional imaging and analysis of materials, ultra-sensitive surface analysis, surface modification, and transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation.   CIQTEK has introduced the FIB-SEM DB550, which features an independently controllable Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) with Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Columns. It is an elegant and versatile nanoscale analysis and specimen preparation tool, that adopts “SuperTunnel” electron optics technology, low aberration, and non-magnetic objective design with low voltage and high-resolution capability to ensure the nano-scale analysis. The ion column facilitates a Ga+ liquid metal ion source with a highly stable, high-quality ion beam to ensure nano-fabrication capability. DB550 has an integrated nano-manipulator, gas injection system, electrical anti-contamination mechanism for the objective lens, and user-friendly GUI software, which facilitates an all-in-one nanoscale analysis and fabrication workstation.   To showcase the outstanding performance of the DB550, CIQTEK has planned a special event called "CIQTEK FIB-SEM Practical Demonstration." This program will present videos demonstrating the broad applications of this cutting-edge equipment in fields such as materials science, the semiconductor industry, and biomedical research. Viewers will gain an understanding of the working principles of the DB550, appreciate its stunning microscale images, and explore the significant implications of this technology for scientific research and industrial development.   Preparation of a transmission specimen of Ferrite-martensite steel   The FIB-SEM DB550 developed by CIQTEK possesses the capability to prepare transmission specimens of ferrite-martensite steel flawlessly. This capability enables researchers in the nanoscale domain to directly observe the interface characteristics, microstructural morphology, and evolution process of ferrite and martensite phases. These observations are crucial steps toward deepening the understanding of the relationship between phase transformation kinetics, microstructural organization, and mechanical properties of ferrite-martens steel.

Diffraction Limit Diffraction spots Diffraction occurs when a point light source passes through a circular aperture, creating a diffraction pattern behind the aperture. This pattern consists of a series of concentric bright and dark rings known as Airy discs. When the Airy discs of two point sources overlap, interference occurs, making it impossible to distinguish between the two sources. The distance between the centers of the Airy discs, which is equal to the radius of the Airy disc, determines the diffraction limit.   The diffraction limit imposes a limitation on the resolution of optical microscopes, preventing the resolvable distinction of objects or details that are too close together. The shorter the wavelength of light, the smaller the diffraction limit and the higher the resolution. Moreover, optical systems with a larger numerical aperture (NA) have a smaller diffraction limit and thus higher resolution. Airy discs The formula for calculating resolution,  NA represents the numerical aperture: Resolution（r） = 0.16λ /  NA   Throughout history, scientists have embarked on a long and challenging journey to surpass the diffraction limit in optical microscopes. From early optical microscopes to modern super-resolution microscopy techniques, researchers have continuously explored and innovated. They have attempted various methods, such as using shorter wavelength light sources, improving the design of objectives, and employing specialized imaging techniques.   Some important breakthroughs include:   1. Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM): NSOM uses a probe placed close to the sample surface to take advantage of the near-field effect and achieve high-resolution imaging.   2. Stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED): STED utilizes the stimulated emission depletion effect of fluorescent molecules to achieve super-resolution imaging.   3. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM): SIM enhances imaging resolution through specific illumination patterns and image processing algorithms.   4. Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM): SMLM achieves super-resolution imaging by precisely localizing and tracking individual fluorescent molecules.   5. Oil immersion microscopy: Immersing the objective lens in a transparent oil increases the numerical aperture in the object space, resulting in improved resolution.   6. Electron microscope: By substituting electron beams for light beams, electron microscopy takes advantage of the wave nature of matter according to the de Broglie principle. Electrons, having mass compared to photons, possess a smaller wavelength and exhibit less diffraction, enabling higher imaging resolution.   Inverted fluorescence microscope     CIQTEK 120kV Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscope TH-F120 These developments have allowed us to observe the microscopic world at a highe...

Introducing CIQTEK tungsten filament Scanning Electron Microscope SEM3200 provides researchers with clear nanoscale images, allowing them to examine the microstructure and morphology of the coating layers visually. Additionally, the equipped Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) enables precise analysis of material composition and element distribution, effectively guiding process optimization in research and development. - Dr. Zhang, Head of Major Customers/Quality Director Coating: Giving Products a "Super Nanocoating"   The development of coating technology not only showcases the depth of materials science but also demonstrates the precision manufacturing processes. Dr. Zhang explains, "Our company has developed superior-performing coatings such as diamond-like carbon (DLC)/ titanium-aluminum-carbon (TAC) films, nitride films, carbide films, high-density metal/alloy films, and optical films. These coating layers are like giving products a 'super nanocoating'."     CIQTEK Scanning Electron Microscope Enhances the Quality of Nanocoating Layers   Dr. Zhang states, "With the SEM3200, we can readily detect the total thickness of the coating layers, as well as the thickness and composition of each designed layer (substrate layer, transition layer, surface layer) in the samples provided by customers. Our in-house research and development can quickly provide design solutions. This enhances the efficiency of coating process development."   The SEM3200 plays a crucial role in research and development and also acts as a key tool in quality control. "We can use it for failure analysis," says Dr. Zhang."Through comprehensive testing and characterization, we can identify the root causes of defective products, continuously improving product quality and yield."   Scanning Electron Microscopes Facilitate the High-quality Development of Manufacture    Dr. Zhang expresses that the SEM3200 not only operates in good condition with a user-friendly interface and high automation but also receives prompt responses from the CIQTEK after-sales team, solving many practical problems. This not only reflects the outstanding performance of CIQTEK products but also demonstrates the significant role of high-end scientific instruments in supporting the development of high-tech enterprises.   In the future, CIQTEK will continue to provide first-class research solutions for more high-tech companies like coating, jointly promoting the flourishing development of the scientific and technological industry.

The main pollutants in water bodies include pharmaceuticals, surfactants, personal care products, synthetic dyes, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. These pollutants are challenging to remove and can adversely affect human health, including the nervous, developmental, and reproductive systems. Therefore, protecting water environments is of utmost importance.   In recent years, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as Fenton-like reactions, persulfate activation, and UV-light-induced AOPs (e.g., UV/Cl2, UV/NH2Cl, UV/H2O2, UV/PS) as well as photocatalysts (e.g., bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6), carbon nitride (C3N4), titanium dioxide (TiO2) have gained attention in the field of water treatment and environmental remediation.   These systems can generate highly reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), sulfate radicals (•SO4-), superoxide radicals (•O2-), singlet oxygen (1O2), etc. These techniques significantly enhance the removal rates of organic pollutants compared to conventional physical and biological methods. The development of these water treatment technologies greatly benefits from the assistance of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) technology.   CIQTEK offers the desktop Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectrometer EPR200M and the X-band continuous-wave Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectrometer EPR200-Plus, which provide solutions for studying photocatalysis and advanced oxidation processes in water treatment.   Application Solutions of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) technology in water treatment research   - Detect, identify, and quantify reactive species such as •OH, •SO4-, •O2-, 1O2, and other active species generated in photocatalytic and AOPs systems.   - Detect and quantify vacancies/defects in remediation materials, such as oxygen vacancies, nitrogen vacancies, sulfur vacancies, etc.   - Detect doped transition metals in catalytic materials.   - Verify the feasibility and assist in optimizing various parameters of water treatment processes.   - Detect and determine the proportion of reactive species during water treatment processes, providing direct evidence for pollutant degradation mechanisms.     Application Cases of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) technology in water treatment research   Case 1: EPR in UV/ClO2-based advanced oxidation technology   - EPR study of the degradation process of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in a UV-mediated AOPs system.   - Degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water by chlorine dioxide under UV conditions.   - EPR detection and qualitative analysis of •OH and singlet oxygen as active species in the system.   - Increase in •OH and 1O2 concentrations with longer irradiation times, promoting antibiotic degradation.   - EPR detection of •OH and 1O2 co...

What is a metal fracture? When a metal breaks under external forces, it leaves behind two matching surfaces called "fracture surfaces" or "fracture faces." The shape and appearance of these surfaces contain important information about the fracture process.   By observing and studying the morphology of the fracture surface, we can analyze the causes, properties, modes, and mechanisms of the fracture. It also provides insights into the stress conditions and crack propagation rates during the fracture. Similar to an "on-site" investigation, the fracture surface preserves the entire process of fracture. Therefore, examining and analyzing the fracture surface is a crucial step and method in studying metal fractures. Scanning electron microscope, with its large depth of field and high resolution, has been widely used in the field of fracture analysis.   The application of scanning electron microscope in metal fracture analysis   Metal fractures can occur in various failure modes. Based on the deformation level before fracture, they can be classified as brittle fracture, ductile fracture, or a mixture of both. Different fracture modes exhibit characteristic microscopic morphologies, and CIQTEK scanning electron microscope characterization can help researchers quickly analyze fracture surfaces.   Ductile fracture   Ductile fracture refers to the fracture that occurs after a significant amount of deformation in the component, and its main feature is the occurrence of obvious macroscopic plastic deformation. The macroscopic appearance is cup-cone or shear with a fibrous fracture surface, characterized by dimples. As shown in Figure 1, at the microscale, the fracture surface consists of small cup-shaped micropores called dimples. Dimples are microvoids formed by localized plastic deformation in the material. They nucleate, grow, and coalesce, eventually leading to fracture, and leaving traces on the fracture surface.   Figure 1: Ductile fracture surface of metal / 10kV / Inlens   Brittle fracture   Brittle fracture refers to the fracture that occurs without significant plastic deformation in the component. The material undergoes little or no plastic deformation before fracture. Macroscopically, it appears crystalline, and microscopically, it can exhibit intergranular fracture, cleavage fracture, or quasi-cleavage fracture. As shown in Figure 2, it is a mixed brittle-ductile fracture surface of metal. In the ductile fracture region, noticeable dimples can be observed. In the brittle fracture region, intergranular brittle fracture occurs along different crystallographic orientations. At the microscale, the fracture surface exhibits multiple facets of the grains, with clear grain boundaries and a three-dimensional appearance. Smooth and featureless morphology is often observed on the grain boundaries. When the grains are coarse, the fracture surface appears crystalline, also known as a crystalline fracture; when the...

High-performance lithium copper foil is one of the key materials for lithium-ion batteries and is closely related to battery performance. With the increasing demand for higher capacity, higher density, and faster charging in electronic devices and new energy vehicles, the requirements for battery materials have also been raised. In order to achieve better battery performance, it is necessary to improve the overall technical indicators of lithium copper foil, including its surface quality, physical properties, stability, and uniformity.   Analysis of microstructure using scanning electron microscope-EBSD technique   In materials science, the composition and microstructure determine the mechanical properties. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is a commonly used scientific instrument for the surface characterization of materials, allowing observation of the surface morphology of copper foil and the distribution of grains. In addition, Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a widely used characterization technique for analyzing the microstructure of metallic materials. By configuring an EBSD detector on a field-emission scanning electron microscope, researchers can establish the relationship between processing, microstructure, and mechanical properties.   The figure below shows the surface morphology of electrolytic copper foil captured by the CIQTEK Field-emission SEM5000   Copper Foil Smooth Surface/2kV/ETD Copper Foil Matte Surface/2kV/ETD When the sample surface is sufficiently flat, electron channel contrast imaging (ECCI) can be obtained using the SEM backscatter detector. The electron channeling effect refers to a significant reduction in the reflection of electrons from crystal lattice points when the incident electron beam satisfies the Bragg diffraction condition, allowing many electrons to penetrate the lattice and exhibit a "channeling" effect. Therefore, for polished flat polycrystalline materials, the intensity of backscatter electrons depends on the relative orientation between the incident electron beam and the crystal planes. Grains with larger misorientation will yield stronger backscattered electron signals and higher contrast, enabling the qualitative determination of grain orientation distribution through ECCI.   The advantage of ECCI lies in its ability to observe a larger area on the sample surface. Therefore, before EBSD acquisition, ECCI imaging can be used for rapid macroscopic characterization of the microstructure on the sample surface, including observation of grain size, crystallographic orientation, deformation zones, etc. Then, EBSD technology can be used to set the appropriate scanning area and step size for crystallographic orientation calibration in the regions of interest. The combination of EBSD and ECCI fully utilizes the advantages of crystallographic orientation imaging techniques in materials research.   By using ion beam cross-section polishing technology, CIQTEK obtain...

Abstract: Titanium dioxide, widely known as titanium white, is an important white inorganic pigment extensively used in various industries such as coatings, plastics, rubber, papermaking, inks, and fibers. Studies have shown that the physical and chemical properties of titanium dioxide, such as photocatalytic performance, hiding power, and dispersibility, are closely related to its specific surface area and pore structure.   Using static gas adsorption techniques for precise characterization of parameters like specific surface area and pore size distribution of titanium dioxide can be employed to evaluate its quality and optimize its performance in specific applications, thereby further enhancing its effectiveness in various fields.   About Titanium Dioxide: Titanium dioxide is a vital white inorganic pigment primarily composed of titanium dioxide. Parameters such as color, particle size, specific surface area, dispersibility, and weather resistance determine the performance of titanium dioxide in different applications, with specific surface area being one of the key parameters. Specific surface area and pore size characterization help understand the dispersibility of titanium dioxide, thereby optimizing its performance in applications such as coatings and plastics. Titanium dioxide with a high specific surface area typically exhibits stronger hiding power and tinting strength.   In addition, research has indicated that when titanium dioxide is used as catalyst support, a larger pore size can enhance the dispersion of active components and improve the overall catalytic activity, while a smaller pore size increases the density of active sites, aiding in improving reaction efficiency. Hence, by regulating the pore structure of titanium dioxide, its performance as a catalyst support can be improved.   In summary, the characterization of specific surface area and pore size distribution not only aids in evaluating and optimizing the performance of titanium dioxide in various applications but also serves as an important means of quality control in the production process. Precise characterization of titanium dioxide enables a better understanding and utilization of its unique properties to meet the requirements in different application fields.   Application Examples of Gas Adsorption Techniques in Titanium Dioxide Characterization:   1. Characterization of Specific Surface Area and Pore Size Distribution of Titanium Dioxide for DeNOx Catalysts   Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is one of the commonly applied and researched flue gas denitrification technologies. Catalysts play a crucial role in SCR technology, as their performance directly affects the efficiency of nitrogen oxide removal. Titanium dioxide serves as the carrier material for DeNOx catalysts, primarily providing mechanical support and erosion resistance to active components and catalytic additives, along with increasing the reaction surface area and pr...

In the fascinating world of nature, lizards are renowned for their remarkable ability to change colors. These vibrant hues not only captivate our attention but also play a crucial role in the survival and reproduction of lizards. But what scientific principles underlie these dazzling colors? This article, in conjunction with the CIQTEK Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) product, aims to explore the mechanism behind the color-changing ability of lizards.   Section 1: Lizard Coloration Mechanism   1.1 Categories based on formation mechanisms: Pigmented Colors and Structural Colors   In nature, animal colors can be divided into two categories based on their formation mechanisms: Pigmented Colors and Structural Colors.   Pigmented Colors are produced by changes in the concentration of pigments and the additive effect of different colors, similar to the principle of "primary colors."   Structural Colors, on the other hand, are generated by the reflection of light from finely structured physiological components, resulting in different wavelengths of reflected light. The underlying principle for structural colors is primarily based on optical principles.   1.2 Structure of Lizard Scales: Microscopic Insights from SEM Imaging   The following images (Figures 1-4) depict the characterization of iridophores in lizard skin cells using CIQTEK SEM5000Pro-Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. Iridophores exhibit a structural arrangement similar to diffraction gratings, and we refer to these structures as crystalline plates. The crystalline plates can reflect and scatter light of different wavelengths.   Section 2: Environmental Influence on Color Change   2.1 Camouflage: Adapting to the Surroundings   Research has revealed that changes in the size, spacing, and angle of the crystalline plates in lizard iridophores can alter the wavelength of light scattered and reflected by their skin. This observation is of significant importance for studying the mechanisms behind color change in lizard skin.   2.2 High-Resolution Imaging: Characterizing lizard skin cells   Characterizing lizard skin cells using a Scanning Electron Microscope allows for a visual examination of the structural characteristics of crystalline plates in the skin, such as their size, length, and arrangement.     Figures1. ultrastructure of lizard skin/30 kV/STEM    Figures2.  ultrastructure of lizard skin/30 kV/STEM    Figures3.  ultrastructure of lizard skin/30 kV/STEM   Figures4.  ultrastructure of lizard skin/30 kV/STEM   Section 3: Advances in Lizard Coloration Research with CIQTEK Field Emission SEM   The "Automap" software developed by CIQTEK can be used to perform large-scale macro-structural characterization of lizard skin cells, with a maximum coverage of up to a centimeter scale. Thus, ...