Zeiss Orion Plus Helium Ion Microscope

HIM is a relatively new scanning particle beam microscopy technique that operates on the same basic principles as scanning electron microscopes. However, HIM offers several advantages over conventional scanning electron microscopy. The relatively large mass of the helium ions results in very little diffraction when passing through the tiny apertures thereby resulting in extremely small (sub-nanometer) probes. Complementing this, the ions penetrate deeply into the specimen before scattering, resulting in finely localized secondary electron emission. These characteristics of HIM ultimately deliver its incredible 0.3 nm resolution and extremely high depth of field, surpassing conventional SEM. In addition to secondary electron detection, our HIM is outfitted with a Multichannel Plate Detector (MCP) used for detection of backscattered helium ions and providing excellent material contrasts. Also, imaging of non-conductive and non-coated materials e.g. most polymers and biological materials is improved upon with the addition of an electron flood gun used for charge compensation.