A new helium-ion microscope will cut and image materials at the scale of individual atoms without damaging them. Existing electron microscopes struggle with soft, insulating, or liquid-containing samples—the beam often alters or destroys the very structure researchers want to see. This tool fires a stream of helium ions instead of electrons, allowing it to image non-conductive biological materials and fluid interfaces at sub-0.5 nanometre resolution, then switch to a neon or gallium beam to slice away material for cross-sectioning or patterning with 2-nanometre precision. It can also write metal electrical contacts just 10 nanometres wide directly onto advanced materials. If successful, the facility will give UK researchers a unique capability to examine battery electrodes, sensor materials, and biological tissues in their native state. Nearly 50 research groups across Cambridge, plus five other universities and three industrial networks representing roughly 1,500 companies, have already committed to using the tool. The work is primarily fundamental science—understanding how materials behave at the nanoscale—but that understanding could accelerate development of better sensors, more efficient energy storage, and improved medical diagnostics.
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The FINESSE NanoBio team is proposing a new UK capability in imaging, cross-sectioning and patterning materials that are traditionally very difficult to examine at the nano and sub-nanometre scale without seriously effecting their structure or behaviour. It is important that the UK is placed at the forefront of this research, enabling start-ups, SMEs and large companies to drive innovation and growth with stronger underpinning scientific understanding. To address this, the team is requesting funding for a customised Zeiss NanoFab tool that consists of: 1. An ultra-high precision imaging capability (sub 0.5 nm) of conductive and non-conductive samples 2. An ultra-high precision patterning and TEM sample preparation capability (2 nm) of the same range of samples 3. A cryogenic sample handling system to enable imaging of biological materials and biological or fluid interfaces with materials and structures. The tool achieves this revolutionary performance by focusing a stream of helium ions onto the surface and measuring the subsequently released secondary electrons. Ions can also be used to remove material in their path for patterning or cross-sectioning materials. This system has three ion options, gallium for bulk removal, neon for additional polishing and cutting and helium for very careful polishing. This difference in behaviour is due to the lower mass of the ions. Direct writing of metals in 10nm feature sizes is also feasible with this system, which will enable electrical contacts to be fabricated to advanced functional materials to test, for example, their conductivity or electrochemical behaviour when making sensors. The requested support will have far-reaching impact through the projects and industrial partners of almost 50 research groups actively supporting this proposal in Cambridge, across 10 different Departments and 4 different Schools. This sphere of scientific influence is amplified by the strong support from 5 universities, 2 catapult organisations and 3 industrial network organisations, who represent an estimated 1500 companies. This incredible response by academics and industrial researchers means the facility will also drive new engagement and collaborations between these partiers and will foster collaboration, through for example the planned symposium and engagement events. The commissioning, access, outreach and management will be delivered by a small committee of experienced researchers and microscopy suite managers, with review and guidance from a larger steering group of EPSRC, industrial and academic partners to ensure fair access, an environment that fosters collaborations and postgraduate education.
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