Building upon the industry-leading Helios DualBeam family’s high-performance imaging and analysis capabilities, Thermo Scientific has introduced the Helios 5 DualBeam. It is meticulously designed to satisfy the requirements of material science researchers and engineers for a variety of focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) use cases, even with the most difficult samples.
The Helios 5 DualBeam redefines the standard in high-resolution imaging with high material contrast; easy, rapid, precise, and high-quality sample preparation for S/TEM imaging and atom probe tomography (APT); and high-quality subsurface and 3D characterization.
Additional improvements to the new Helios 5 DualBeam were made to ensure that the system is optimized for a range of manual or automated workflows, building on the established capabilities of the Helios DualBeam family. Among these enhancements are:
- Greater ease-of-use: For operators of all skill levels, the Helios 5 DualBeam is the most user-friendly DualBeam. Months of operator training can be cut down to a few days. All operators would benefit from the system’s design, enabling the production of reliable, repeatable results on a wide range of complex applications.
- Increased productivity: By enabling unattended and even overnight operation, the Thermo Scientific AutoTEM 5 and Helios 5 DualBeam software’s enhanced automation capabilities, increased robustness, and stability enhancements can greatly increase the throughput of sample preparation.
- Improved time to results: Now available on the Helios 5 DualBeam is FLASH, it is a novel approach to image tuning. With traditional microscopes, the microscope must be meticulously adjusted through repeated alignments each time a user needs to capture an image. With the Helios 5 DualBeam, a simple gesture across the screen will activate FLASH. This automatically modifies these parameters. The automatic modifications can greatly increase data quality, improve throughput, and simplify the process of obtaining high-quality pictures.
S/TEM Sample Preparation
The fifth generation of the industry-leading Helios DualBeam family includes the Thermo Scientific Helios 5 DualBeam. It is meticulously crafted to satisfy the demands of scientists and engineers, combining the superior Thermo Scientific Tomahawk Ion Column for quick, simple, and accurate high-quality sample preparation with the cutting-edge Elstar electron column for extremely high-resolution imaging.
The Helios 5 DualBeam is equipped with a suite of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced electron and ion optics, to facilitate consistent and easy high-resolution S/TEM and atom probe tomography (APT) sample preparation. This allows for high-quality subsurface and 3D characterization, even on the most difficult samples.
Key Features
High-Quality Sample Preparation
Site-specific sample preparation for S/TEM and APT analysis utilizing the industry-leading low-voltage performance of the Thermo Scientific Phoenix Ion Column or the high-throughput Thermo Scientific Tomahawk Ion Column.
Shortest Time to Nanoscale Information
Using the best-in-class Thermo Scientific Elstar Electron Column with FLASH and SmartAlign technologies, this column is suitable for users of any experience level.
Complete Sample Information
The contrast obtained from up to six integrated in-column and below-the-lens detectors is sharp, refined, and free of charge.
Rapid Nanoprototyping
Accurate, precise, and rapid milling and depositing of complex structures with critical dimensions of under 10 nm.
Artifact-Free Imaging
Based on integrated sample cleanliness management and specialized imaging modes like DCFI and SmartScan Modes.
Fully Automated
AutoTEM 5 Software is an optional tool that facilitates quick, simple, fully automated, unsupervised, multi-site in situ and ex situ TEM sample preparation and cross-sectioning.
Next-Generation UC+ Monochromator Technology
With the next generation of UC+ monochromator technology, which has a higher current and can achieve sub-nanometer performance at low energies, the user can reveal the smallest details.
3D Analysis
Thermo Scientific Auto Slice & View 5 (AS&V5) Software is an optional tool that provides accurate region-of-interest targeting and high-quality, multi-modal subsurface and 3D information.
Precise Sample Navigation
It is customized to meet specific application requirements thanks to the Thermo Scientific Nav-Cam Camera located inside the chamber, the high stability and accuracy of the 150-mm piezo stage, and the adaptability of the 110-mm stage.
Specifications
Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Electron Microscopy Solutions
| |
|
Helios 5 CX |
Helios 5 UC |
Helios 5 UX |
| Ion optics |
|
Tomahawk HT Ion Column with superior high-current performance |
Phoenix Ion Column with superior high-current and low-voltage performance |
| Ion beam current range |
1 pA – 100 nA |
1 pA – 65 nA |
| Accelerating voltage range |
500 V – 30 kV |
500 V – 30 kV |
| Max. horizontal field width |
0.9 mm at beam coincidence point |
0.7 mm at beam coincidence point |
| Minimum source lifetime |
1,000 hours |
1,000 hours |
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Two-stage differential pumping
Time-of-flight (TOF) correction
15-position aperture strip |
Two-stage differential pumping
Time-of-flight (TOF) correction
15-position aperture strip |
| Electron optics |
Elstar ultra-high-resolution field emission SEM column |
Elstar extreme high-resolution field emission SEM column |
| Magnetic immersion objective lens |
Magnetic immersion objective lens |
| High-stability Schottky field emission gun to provide stable high-resolution analytical currents |
High-stability Schottky field emission gun to provide stable high-resolution analytical currents |
| Electron beam resolution |
At optimum working distance (WD) |
0.6 nm at 30 kV STEM
0.6 nm at 15 kV
1.0 nm at 1 kV
0.9 nm at 1 kV with beam deceleration* |
0.6 nm at 30 kV STEM
0.7 nm at 1 kV
1.0 nm at 500 V (ICD) |
| At coincident point |
0.6 nm at 15 kV
1.5 nm at 1 kV with beam deceleration* and DBS* |
0.6 nm at 15 kV
1.2 nm at 1 kV |
| Electron beam parameter space |
Electron beam current range |
0.8 pA to 176 nA |
0.8 pA to 100 nA |
| Accelerating voltage range |
200 V – 30 kV |
350 V – 30 kV |
| Landing energy range |
20 eV – 30 keV |
20 eV – 30 keV |
| Maximum horizontal field width |
2.3 mm at 4 mm WD |
2.3 mm at 4 mm WD |
| Detectors |
Elstar in-lens SE/BSE detector (TLD-SE, TLD-BSE) |
| Elstar in-column SE/BSE detector (ICD)* |
| Elstar in-column BSE detector (MD)* |
| Everhart-Thornley SE detector (ETD) |
| IR camera for viewing sample/column |
| High-performance in-chamber electron and ion detector (ICE) for secondary ions (SI) and electrons (SE)* |
| Thermo Scientific In-chamber Nav-Cam Camera for sample navigation* |
| Retractable, low-voltage, high-contrast, directional, solid-state backscatter electron detector (DBS)* |
| Retractable STEM 3+ detector with BF/ DF/ HAADF segments* |
| Integrated beam current measurement |
| Stage and sample |
Stage |
Flexible 5-axis motorized stage |
High-precision five-axis motorized stage with Piezo-driven XYR axis |
| XY range |
110 mm |
150 mm |
| Z range |
65 mm |
10 mm |
| Rotation |
360 ° (endless) |
360 ° (endless) |
| Tilt range |
-15 ° to +90 ° |
-10 ° to +60 ° |
| Max sample height |
Clearance 85 mm to eucentric point |
Clearance 55 mm to eucentric point |
| Max sample weight |
500 g in any stage position
Up to 5 kg at 0 ° tilt (some restrictions apply) |
500 g (including sample holder) |
| Max sample size |
110 mm with full rotation (larger samples possible with limited rotation) |
150 mm with full rotation (larger samples possible with limited rotation) |
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Compucentric rotation and tilt |
Compucentric rotation and tilt |
* Available as an option, configuration dependent