for advanced research in batteries
Failure Analysis
Production and Quality Assurance
Monitor consistency across manufacturing lines with repeatable, high-throughput inspection
Consistent battery performance depends on tight process control. Tescan Solutions support quality assurance by detecting defects such as electrode misalignment, separator damage, or structural inconsistencies. Non-destructive micro-CT complements SEM and FIB-SEM by revealing internal assembly flaws assuring the highest quality of cells and other componenets.
Research and Development
Characterize materials, interfaces, and dendrite formation to guide next-gen battery innovation
Developing next-generation batteries requires deep insight into how materials, chemistries and interfaces behave during operation. Tescan platforms enable 2D, 3D, and chemical mapping of electrodes, electrolytes, and SEI layers—helping researchers evaluate new chemistries, understand degradation, and accelerate design optimization.
Raw Materials Optimization
Evaluate purity, morphology, and homogeneity in anode and cathode feedstocks
Performance and cost efficiency start with the right feedstock. Tescan’s analytical workflows quantify and characterize lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other key phases in mined or processed materials—ensuring optimal raw material selection and processing before electrodes manufacturing.
Recycling
Support recovery and reuse through detailed imaging of post-use battery components
Recovering valuable materials from spent batteries demands precise identification of their composition and structure. Tescan solutions, including automated mineralogy, support efficient separation and refinement by mapping critical elements in “black mass” and other recycling streams—maximizing recovery rates while reducing waste.
in Battery Development
“At Dragonfly Energy, our goal is to deliver a more sustainable and cost-effective Li-ion battery, and these metrics are fundamentally defined by dynamic nanoscale interactions occurring inside the cell. TESCAN’s electron microscopy and micro-CT solutions provide valuable, correlative insights into the behavior of these complex systems which enable the development of our innovative cell chemistries.”
DR. DENIS PHARES
CEO at Dragonfly Energy
for every electron microscopy
workflow
TESCAN AMBER X 2
High-throughput plasma FIB-SEM for multimodal battery materials research and TEM specimen preparation.TESCAN AMBER X 2 combines ultra-high-resolution BrightBeam™ SEM column and the most precise Mistral™ Xe plasma FIB with integrated ToF-SIMS to support fast, detailed analysis of surface and sub-surface battery structures and their interfaces. Designed for multimodal chemical analysis workflows, the platform enables nanoscale 3D tomography and automated TEM lamella prep—even for beam-sensitive polymer-based materials such as separators and solid electrolytes—within a single system.
- Simplifies electrode and SEI layer analysis through integrated ToF-SIMS, EDS, and EBSD in one workflow.
- Enables rapid, high quality cross-sectioning on whole electrodes as well as TEM specimen prep from multiple particles using the most prices high-current Mistral™ Xe plasma FIB.
- Consolidates multimodal analysis and TEM sample prep in one platform, improving research throughput and reducing instrument redundancy.
TESCAN CLARA
Ultra-high-resolution SEM for surface analysis and failure analysis of battery materials.TESCAN CLARA delivers nanometer-scale surface imaging of electrodes, particles, and interfaces using BrightBeam™ field-free SEM. With sub-nanometer resolution, integrated EDS/EBSD, and minimal sample prep requirements, it supports routine QA/QC and in-depth R&D across battery research workflows.
- Captures high-resolution surface and cross-section images of active materials and separators with minimal beam damage.
- Supports multimodal analysis with integrated EDS, EBSD, and Raman—all without risk of exposing sample to air.
- Reduces operator time and improves consistency with scripting automation and guided workflows suitable for QA/QC environments.
TESCAN TIMA
Automated mineralogy SEM for battery raw material and black mass characterization.TESCAN TIMA quantifies lithium ores and recycled battery materials through phase-specific, particle-by-particle compositional and textural analysis. Its fully automated, high-throughput workflow supported by four-EDS architecture deliver meaningful data essential for process optimization in both primary extraction and recycling environments.
- Maps mineral phases and lithium carriers in black mass and ores without manual interpretation or user bias.
- Speeds decision-making with automated particle segmentation, phase classification, and quantitative liberation data.
- Improves recovery and process control by linking material composition to floatability, leaching behavior, and elemental losses.
TESCAN UniTOM XL
Micro-CT for whole cell and component-level battery inspection. UniTOM XL enables multiscale, dynamic X-ray imaging of battery cells and internal components under conditions simulating real-world operating environment. Its ability to automatically scan selected volumes of Interest and dynamic 4D capabilities support fast, repeatable defect localization and enable degradation tracking.- Locates internal failures across full-size cells and subcomponents using non-destructive multiscale CT imaging.
- Visualizes battery structure evolution under cycling or elevated temperature with real-time 4D acquisition at sub-minute temporal resolution.
- Increases QA/QC throughput with batch automation, open access software, and real-time reconstruction tools.
TESCAN UniTOM HR
Sub-micron resolution micro-CT for advanced R&D on battery failure mechanisms.
UniTOM HR combines high spatial resolution and high-speed scanning in one platform to support particle-level analysis and in-situ 4D imaging. It enables detailed assessment of electrode coatings, cracking, porosity, and material evolution during operation.
- Reveals early-stage failures and structural changes in electrodes at sub-micron scale through dynamic CT imaging.
- Supports 4D in-situ experiments for direct observation of gas evolution, battery cell expansion, and cell thermal response.
- Accelerates research with automated batch scanning and real-time reconstruction for high-throughput sample analysis.