Multimodal Ion Beam Imaging facility: Multimodal 3D elemental and molecular imaging at the sub-micron scale

Started

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research
Not Energy Related

Equipment

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Not Cross-cutting

Professor MJ Bailey
Surrey Materials Institute
University of Surrey

Standard

EPSRC

01 February 2024

31 January 2027

36 months

£2,967,715

Chemical measurement

South East

NC : Infrastructure

Professor MJ Bailey, Surrey Materials Institute, University of Surrey

Dr C Costa, Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey
Dr KDI Jayawardena, Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey
Professor NP Lockyer, Chemistry, University of Manchester
Dr V Palitsin, Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey
Professor PA Townsend, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey
Professor RP Webb, Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) is widely used by industry and academia for 3D imaging of elements and molecular fragments to gain information on structure and content. With excellent spatial resolution, SIMS has enabled significant advances in the development of solar cells, semiconductor devices, batteries and biomedical research. However, SIMS still suffers from a few drawbacks, namely: (a) matrix effects, which cause artefacts in both images and depth profiles; (b) incompatible analytical conditions for the detection of elemental and molecular species; and (c) fragmentation, which precludes identification of larger organic molecules.Water cluster ion sources are a new development offering remarkable gains in sensitivity for organic molecule measurement, partially addressing limitation (c) above. Again, even this state-of-the-art system does not addresslimitations (a) and (b) above.This proposal will overcome these limitations by providing an internationally unique, cutting-edge capability for 3D molecular and elemental imaging at the sub-micron scale, by using both water cluster and MeV ion sources already located at the University of Surrey. This will enable more than a step-change in materials characterisation for UK academics and industry working in areas supported by EPSRC and other UKRI sponsorsWe will install and commission an internationally unique system in the Surrey Ion Beam Centre at the University of Surrey that will provide multimodal 3D imaging of elements and molecules at the sub-micron scale using label-free, non-targeted techniques. Specifically, the system will enable:(i) high-resolution imaging of larger molecules(ii) multimodal elemental and molecular imaging(iii) multimodal depth profilingThis will be achieved by combining MeV ion beam analysis (X rays, gamma rays, backscattered particles) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) in a single system. The Surrey Ion Beam Centre is the ideal host for this equipment, as it is not only a National Facility, but has also developed a proven business model, involving academic and industrial users, that will ensure the long term sustainable operation of the new capability. One of the main aims is to promote this added and unique capability to engage with a broader range of partners, especially those involved in health-related search and development, such as cancer treatment and drug testing.

06/03/24