A slice of ion beam–scanning microscopy

By Emma Davies2017-06-14T13:47:00

3D FIB-SEM on a fluid catalytic cracking particle showing pore network and streamlines

Source: © Bert Weckhuysen / Utrecht University

From brain cells to batteries, is there anything focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy can’t study?

Focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy (FIB–SEM) was originally targeted at the semiconductor industry but is now used in an astonishing array of applications. Each technique has been used separately for decades but researchers are increasingly drawn to the combined technique, which brings both high-resolution imaging and micromachining.