NanoMi (ナノ美): An Open Source Electron Microscopy Platform

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NanoMi (ナノ美): An Open Source Electron Microscopy Platform

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Author(s): Marek Malac ¹ ^, ² ^, , Makoto Schreiber ¹ ^, ² , Sam Ruttiman ¹ ^, ² , Mark Salomons ¹ , Darren Homeniuk ¹ , Xuanhao Wang ³ , Ka Wing Kwan ¹ , Patrick Price ¹ , Martin Cloutier ¹ , Doug Vick ¹ , Sophia Cockram ⁴ , Ray Egerton ² , Ken Harada ⁵ , Yoshio Takahashi ⁶ , Heiko Müller ⁷

Publication date (Electronic): 21 January 2025

Conference name: 13th Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress 2025 (APMC13)

Conference date: 2-7 Febuary 2025

Keywords: NanoMi open source electron microscopy platform

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Abstract

We are aiming to accelerate development of custom experiments in electron microscopy and student training by providing a set of electron-optical components, control electronics and software. we refer to this open-source platform as NanoMi (ナノ美) [ 1, 2]. We show that the components can be utilized to assemble basic electron microscopy functionality, such as a rudimentary scanning and transmission electron microscopes (SEM and TEM) with transmission electron diffraction (ED) capability. We provide detailed information on component interfaces and a modular design to enable component sharing among laboratories and unrestricted development of new components and applications.

NanoMi currently utilizes electrostatic einzel lenses, electrostatic stigmators and deflectors. All components of the electron optics are designed to be ultra-high vacuum compatible: we have demonstrated base pressure 3×10 ^-10 torr in a turbopump-evacuated NanoMi. NanoMi electron optics is fully separated from its vacuum envelope. We aim for up to 50 keV electron energy, ~10 nm electronoptical resolution in SEM, TEM and scanning TEM. In TEM mode, we use a digital camera (Canon M50 at present) and a fluorescent screen. The entire NanoMi is controlled from a single Linux computer and affordable I/O boards connected to a USB port. Image Viewer by CEOS GmbH on the Linux computer is used to display and process images.

Fig. 1 shows two different electron-optics mounting designs: a,b) 5-inch diameter half pipe with mounting plates for electron optical elements and a repurposed W-hairpin filament from a decommissioned JEOL-1400 TEM. Fig. 1 c,d) shows same electron optical elements placed directly in a V-groove. The instrument uses a Schottky electron source and is being used to develop an THz-pulse controlled electron microscope. The THz NanoMi is placed directly on an ultrafast laser optical table. Fig. 2a) shows the FPGA-based PAttern Creation kit (PACk). PACk can be used for SEM and STEM data collection with 16-bit xy positioning, simultaneous read-in of eight 14-bit channels with 40 ns (25 MHz) minimum pixel dwell time. PACk hardware costs about 1000 C$. PACk can be used with NanoMi, or with commercial instruments. Fig. 2b) shows an bright field STEM image of multi wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) acquired in a Hitachi S-5500 SEM using PACk.

Fig. 1.

Two examples of NanoMi layout: 5-inch half pipe and V-groove. The same electron-optical elements can be used in both 5-inch half pipe and V-groove layouts. The elements in a) and c) are: symmetric einzel lens (purple), asymmetric einzel lens (red), deflector (yellow), stigmator (blue) and x-y mover for sample or aperture positioning. In both examples the electron gun is located on the right hand side. The electron optics on 5-inch half pipe in b) is enclosed in ConFlat tubing, reaching 3×10 ^-8 torr without bake. The layout in c,d) reaches 3×10 ^-10 torr with an overnight bake.

Fig. 2.

a) PACk, an FPGA-based scanning signal generator for NanoMi. b) A bright field STEM image of multi wall CNTs acquired in a Hitachi S-5500 SEM using PACk.

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Publication date (Electronic): 21 January 2025

Electronic Location Identifier: e005

Affiliations

[1 ]NRC-QN (NANO), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[2 ]Dept. of Physics, U. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[3 ]Dept. Comp. Sc., U of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[4 ]Dept. of Electrical and Comp. Engineering, U of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

[5 ]Center for Emergent Matter Science, RIKEN, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan

[6 ]R&D Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan

[7 ]CEOS GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany

Author notes

*Corresponding author: marek.malac@ 123456nrc-cnrc.gc.ca / mmalac@ 123456ualberta.ca

Article

DOI: 10.14293/APMC13-2025-0005

SO-VID: 51306ae1-8974-488e-8964-2cb77a8665a3

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Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International ( CC BY 4.0). Users are allowed to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially), as long as the authors and the publisher are explicitly identified and properly acknowledged as the original source.

Conference name: 13th Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress 2025

Conference acronym: APMC13

Conference number: 13

Conference location: Brisbane, Australia

Conference date: 2-7 Febuary 2025

History

References

nanomi.org and https://github.com/NRC-NANOmi/NanoMi
M. Malac et. al, Micron 163 (2022) 103362. NanoMi: An open source electron microscope hardware and software platform.
Support for the project was provided by NRC-NANO and by NSERC RGPIN-2021-02539. MM wishes to acknowledge the advice and guidance provided by Dr. Misa Hayashida.

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[1] nanomi.org and https://github.com/NRC-NANOmi/NanoMi

[2] M. Malac et. al, Micron 163 (2022) 103362. NanoMi: An open source electron microscope hardware and software platform.

[3] Support for the project was provided by NRC-NANO and by NSERC RGPIN-2021-02539. MM wishes to acknowledge the advice and guidance provided by Dr. Misa Hayashida.

NanoMi (ナノ美): An Open Source Electron Microscopy Platform

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