Imperial College London Unveils UK’s First Titan(TM) S/TEM
HILLSBORO, Ore., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Imperial College London has unveiled one of the UK’s most powerful microscopes, the Titan(TM) 80-300 S/TEM from FEI. It is the world’s most powerful commercially-available scanning/transmission electron microscopes and one of the only instruments capable of viewing and analyzing individual atoms and the bonds which join them.
The Titan’s unique capabilities enable researchers to “see” the detail of atoms’ interfaces, structures, boundaries and defects in a wide range of materials. This will lead to a greater understanding of the chemical, biological, structural, electronic or magnetic properties in a number of materials and structures for the development and commercialization of new nano-enabled technologies.
The UK’s first Titan allows the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), an interdisciplinary collaboration between Imperial College London and University College London (UCL), to provide a world-class nano-characterisation facility for the first time. LCN can now offer scientists the opportunity to view and analyse material at a resolution smaller than half a nanometre.
The Titan will support a range of nanotechnology research projects in medical, pharmaceutical and materials science. These include understanding the processes which influence degenerative brain diseases, developing lightweight aircraft materials to reduce fuel consumption, and researching quantum dots as a way to increase the communication bandwidth available from fibre-optic cables. The multi-million-dollar microscope was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council following a joint submission from Imperial College, University College London and the London Centre for Nanotechnology.
The FEI Titan family currently offers world’s most powerful, commercially- available transmission electron microscope (TEM). Since its release in 2005, the Titan has been widely acclaimed both for its ability to deliver ground- breaking results and for its superior product design. It has rapidly become the preferred S/TEM of leading researchers around the world, enabling discovery and exploration down to sub-Angstrom resolution in both TEM and S/TEM modes.
Examples of research enabled by the TITAN: — Quantum computing — The FEI TITAN will allow researchers to view and study the impurity atoms responsible for the quantum bits, manipulated in silicon-based quantum computers. These computers are devices which will use the correlated movements of electrons to do complex calculations in fields such as cryptography. The microscopy of the TITAN will allow scientists to view individual impurities in their native environment and thereby to understand and improve their function in a quantum computer. — Carbon nanotubes — Scientists at Imperial will use the FEI TITAN to understand how carbon nanotubes grow so that they can be developed for specific applications. Carbon nanotubes have remarkable properties, including the highest strength and thermal conductivity of any known material. Many of these properties depend on the specific atomic structure of different nanotubes. However, scientists have too little control over the growth process. By understanding the relationship between nanotube structure and metal catalysts used for synthesis, it may be possible to find ways to produce nanotubes with specific structures, designed for individual applications. — Solid oxide fuel cells — Imperial has been a hub of fuel cell research for over 30 years. Solid oxide fuel cells could be used to fuel anything from auxiliary power units for vehicles to combined heat and power for the home. They use a variety of interfaces to catalyse the production of energy from hydrocarbons or pure hydrogen. These interfaces will deteriorate over time, affecting the cell’s performance. Imperial will use the TITAN to image and analyse these interfaces over time and understand how and why they deteriorate. By doing so it hopes to establish ways to slow the process and support fuel cells’ commercialisation. — Degenerative brain diseases — The level of iron in the brain tissue of patients with degenerative diseases is significantly higher than in healthy samples. The TITAN will allow research teams to investigate the link between iron nanoparticles in the brain and diseases such as Huntingdon’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
“Finally we have a true nano-analytical facility in a single instrument,” commented Imperial’s Dr. David McComb. “We can now see the atom, we can identify the atom and we can determine how it is coordinated to the atoms around it — this will enable us to make major advances in establishing the relationship between structure and properties in systems such as biomedical materials, materials for renewable energy and electronic materials. This reinforces the position of the LCN and Imperial College London as a world- leading centre for nanomaterials research.”
“This is a big investment in the science of the small,” said Rob Fastenau, senior vice president and senior executive Europe of FEI Company. “The power of the Titan is its ability to combine world-leading imaging and spectral analysis at the atomic level. But its true value depends upon how it is applied to investigate and solve real scientific problems. Imperial’s rich history of research excellence means it has a huge opportunity to drive new research forward with the acquisition of this highly advanced instrument.”
About FEI
FEI is a global leader in providing innovative instruments for nanoscale imaging, analysis and prototyping. FEI focuses on delivering solutions that provide groundbreaking results and accelerate research, development and manufacturing cycles for its customers in Semiconductor and Datastorage, Academic and Industrial R&D, and Life Sciences markets. With R&D centers in North America, Europe, and India, and sales and service operations in more than 50 countries around the world, FEI’s Tools for Nanotech(TM) are bringing the nanoscale within the grasp of leading researchers and manufacturers. More information can be found online at: http://www.fei.com/.
About the FEI Titan family
FEI’s Titan 80-300 kv transmission electron microscope images nanostructures with the highest level of detail available today — down to the sub-Angstrom level, providing critical data for materials research and product development on a highly stable, easy-to-use platform. Titan is the next generation of a unique 80-300 kV range microscope for corrector and monochromator technologies.
About the London Centre for Nanotechnology
The London Centre for Nanotechnology is a joint enterprise between University College London and Imperial College London. In bringing together world-class infrastructure and leading nanotechnology research activities, the Centre aims to attain the critical mass to compete with the best facilities abroad. Furthermore by acting as a bridge between the biomedical, physical, chemical and engineering sciences the Centre will cross the “chip-to-cell interface” — an essential step if the UK is to remain internationally competitive in biotechnology.
About Imperial College, London
Consistently rated in the top three UK university institutions, Imperial College London is a world leading science-based university whose reputation for excellence in teaching and research attracts students (11,500) and staff (6,000) of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that enhance the quality of life and the environment — underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.
Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/
FEI Company
CONTACT: Dan Zenka, APR, Global Public Relations of FEI Company,+1-503-726-2695 or dzenka@feico.com
Web site: http://www.feicompany.com/