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Fully integrated Ar+ polishing for high-quality S/TEM specimens
Aura™ Gentle Ar⁺ Ion Beam (GIB) enables consistent preparation of high-quality sub-50 nm S/TEM specimens by performing low-energy 200 eV Ar⁺ polishing directly inside the Tescan AMBER™ and Tescan SOLARIS™ FIB-SEMs.
Clean, ultra-thin specimens for accurate S/TEM analysis
Aura™ GIB is ideal for samples where conventional Ga⁺ FIB finishing can introduce damage, variability, or artifacts, including ultra-thin TEM lamellae below 50 nm and beam-sensitive materials such as GaN, Cu, Al alloys, and Al/Ga multilayer structures. Its broad-area, low-energy Ar⁺ beam provides smooth, uniform surface removal across different specimen phases, helping reduce uneven thinning and curtaining artifacts. By removing implantation damage, minimizing amorphization down to 2 nm, and preserving the true material structure, Aura™ supports more reliable HR-S/TEM analysis of demanding samples such as 3D semiconductor devices, heterostructures, ultra-fine interfaces, nanoscale precipitates, and crystalline structures.
Reliable in-chamber Ar⁺ polishing for consistent specimen quality
Full integration into the Tescan FIB-SEM hardware and software makes Aura™ a seamless part of the S/TEM preparation workflow. Final polishing takes place inside the microscope chamber, removing the need for a separate Ar⁺ milling tool with dedicated setup and helping avoid transfer-related risks such as specimen damage, misalignment, oxidation, contamination, and loss
Users can configure the entire Aura™ GIB polishing process through the step-by-step Tescan Essence™ software interface or run it using predefined recipes. This improves reproducibility, helps standardize results across samples and operators, and enables users with different experience levels to achieve consistent, high-quality results with minimal effort.
Pristine S/TEM specimen surfaces: Minimize amorphization, intermixing, surface contamination, oxidation, and Ga+-implanted zones with gentle Ar⁺ polishing inside the FIB-SEM.
High-quality ultra-thin lamellae with minimal FIB damage from any material
Using inert broad Ar⁺ ion beam polishing at 200 eV, Aura™ significantly reduces FIB-induced damage in ultra-thin specimens and Ga+-sensitive materials such as Cu, Al, and GaN. The result is 2–3× fewer ion-induced defects than Ga+ finishing and more reliable preparation of sub-50 nm lamellae for high-resolution TEM analysis.
Automated final Ar⁺ polishing within the FIB-SEM workflow
Aura™ is fully embedded in the FIB-SEM operating software, allowing final 200 eV Ar⁺ polishing to be performed as part of the TEM lamella preparation workflow. Recipe-based automation executes predefined process steps, with customizable settings for voltage, sample movement, milling time, and step order. This helps users standardize specimen finishing across samples, operators, and labs.
Reduced transfer-related risks with in-chamber final polishing
Aura™ is integrated directly into the FIB-SEM chamber at the FIB and SEM coincidence point, enabling final polishing without the need to move the specimen to a separate tool. Because the sample stays on the microscope stage and holder, transfer-related risks such as damage, misalignment, oxidation, contamination, and sample loss are avoided, with precise alignment preserved for repeatable results.
In-chamber specimen quality verification before HR-STEM analysis
With final polishing completed inside the FIB-SEM chamber, users can perform an immediate STEM-in-SEM quality check before transferring the specimen for HR-STEM analysis. This gives operators faster feedback and greater confidence, helping them identify preparation issues earlier in the workflow and avoid costly rework.
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Enhancing Ga+ FIB-SEM Capabilities with Fully Integrated Low-Energy Argon Ion Beam Cleaning.
Learn how Tescan AMBER™ 2 and Aura™ Gentle Ion Beam enable automated, high-quality TEM lamella preparation with improved consistency and reduced damage.
High-quality TEM specimen preparation remains a challenge in advanced materials characterization.
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Non-destructive spectral imaging for material verification and internal inspection of advanced electronic assemblies.
TrueContrast™ multi-energy imaging for differentiating polymers, metals, and encapsulants
K-edge detection for accurate identification of high-Z elements
Non-destructive visualization of interfaces and buried defects in electronic packages
Spectrum comparison tools for verifying material uniformity and contamination sources
Tescan Spectral CT delivers compositional insight where conventional micro-CT cannot. Engineers can distinguish packaging materials, solder alloys, and internal structures without sectioning or coating—supporting reliable failure analysis, design validation, and quality assurance across next-generation electronic devices.
Multi-energy micro-CT for elemental and structural differentiation in complex, multi-phase materials.
Elemental mapping for identifying fillers, dopants, or additives in polymer composites
Spectral contrast for distinguishing polymers, ceramics, and metals with similar densities
Non-destructive 3D analysis of internal interfaces and phase boundaries
Integrated Spectral Suite for correlating elemental and structural data in one workflow
In materials research, Spectral CT enables scientists to explore the relationship between structure and composition without destroying samples. Researchers can visualize distribution of additives, analyze composite uniformity, and study degradation pathways—supporting more reliable material design and performance assessment.
Full-spectrum micro-CT for 3D elemental and structural insight into geological samples.
Non-destructive 3D elemental mapping of rocks, ores, and mineral inclusions
K-edge detection for locating and identifying high-value or trace elements like gold or rare earth elements
Enhanced contrast for complex mineral assemblages and pore networks
Large-volume spectral scanning for full-core or fragment-scale analysis
For geoscientists and mining professionals, Spectral CT provides simultaneous elemental and structural data from intact samples. It supports mineral identification, ore classification, and recovery assessment—reducing dependency on destructive assays while preserving geological material for further study.
Tescan Spectral CT works seamlessly with SPECTRAL Suite and Acquila™ micro-CT control software to streamline spectral imaging from acquisition to analysis. Used as an add-on with the UniTOM XL platform, users can target volumes of interest, capture full-spectrum data, and visualize structural and elemental information in one workflow.
Researchers benefit from intuitive controls, guided reconstruction, and automated spectral processing. Spectral Suite handles spectrum matching, K-edge detection, and compositional mapping with minimal setup. This delivers consistent, reproducible results across samples and accelerates multi-energy micro-CT analysis.
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