Advanced Compositional Characterization of Battery Materials

Tescan FIB-SEM Integrated ToF-SIMS for Battery Research

Name: Tescan FIB-SEM Integrated ToF-SIMS for Battery Research
Brand: TESCAN

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Linking battery composition, microstructure, and performance

Advancing lithium-ion battery performance, lifespan, and safety relies on comprehensive structural and compositional information across multiple length scales, from electrode-scale architecture to subparticle-level features. To meet this challenge, Tescan’s secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) solution integrates an orthogonal Time-of-Flight SIMS (ToF-SIMS) analyzer directly into a FIB-SEM platform. By combining high-spatial-resolution, high-sensitivity lithium mapping with multimodal characterization workflows, the solution accelerates advanced battery research, quality assurance, and failure analysis across conventional and next-generation materials.

Surface and subsurface analysis from electrode to particle scale

For lithium-ion battery research, revealing structures beyond the surface is essential. Integrating high-throughput Xe Plasma FIB technology with Tescan AMBER X™ 2 enables multimodal, large-area cross-sectional analysis and large-volume 3D tomography, providing efficient access to electrode-scale structures while retaining the resolution needed to resolve individual particles, pores, interfaces, and other micro- and nanostructural features.

Comprehensive insights into battery materials and interfaces

Comprehensive insights into electrode microstructure and chemistry, lithium distribution, interfacial reactions, contaminants, and degradation mechanisms require a correlative characterization approach combining complementary analytical methods. Beyond ToF-SIMS, integrated EDS, EBSD, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) extend FIB-SEM characterization with complementary structural, chemical, crystallographic, and physical information across battery materials.

Investigation of lithium transport pathways and electrochemical behavior through high-spatial-resolution, high-sensitivity mapping of lithium isotopes.
Insight into battery material chemistry through the identification of all elements, including hydrogen and other light elements, alongside molecules, molecular fragments, and clusters.
Assessment of electrode architecture, including particle distribution, binder domains, conductive additives, contaminants, and porosity, through large-scale, statistically relevant multimodal 3D tomography combining SEM, EDS, and ToF-SIMS.
Investigation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) chemistry, spatial distribution, and buried battery interfaces through high-spatial-resolution ToF-SIMS depth profiling.
Detection, localization, and chemical identification of contaminants affecting battery performance, reliability, and safety.
Extension of battery characterization workflows through integrated EBSD, Raman spectroscopy, and SPM.
More precise chemical information through enhanced chemical species identification and spectral interpretation enabled by the high-mass-resolution H-TOF analyzer.
Protection of air- and beam-sensitive battery materials and preservation of their native chemistry through inert gas transfer and cryogenic workflows.
Transferable ToF-SIMS workflows applicable beyond battery research, including nanomaterials, semiconductors, geology, nuclear materials, and contamination or impurity analysis.

WHERE TESCAN FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

High-Sensitivity Lithium Mapping, Isotope-Resolved Analysis, and Failure Investigation

ToF-SIMS provides exceptional sensitivity to lithium and enables high-spatial-resolution mapping of its elemental and isotopic distribution, supporting visualization of transport pathways, concentration gradients, and electrochemical heterogeneity. The resulting information enables detailed investigation of lithium inventory loss, degradation processes, and isotope-tracing studies, while also supporting characterization of lithium deposits and dendritic structures associated with battery failure and safety risks.

Correlative Structural and Compositional Insights into Battery Materials

Within a single FIB-SEM platform, seamless integration of ToF-SIMS with SEM, optional EDS, EBSD, Raman spectroscopy, and other complementary techniques allows in situ correlative characterization of battery materials. Direct correlation of microstructure, crystallography, elemental distribution, and chemical composition from the same region of interest provides deeper insight into the relationship between battery architecture, material chemistry, and electrochemical performance.

Large-Scale Multimodal 3D Battery Material Characterization

Integration with high-throughput Xe Plasma FIB technology enables extensive, cross-sectional analysis and multimodal 3D tomography of large, statistically relevant battery material volumes. Sequential FIB serial sectioning and ToF-SIMS analysis generate accurate volumetric chemical data, while correlation with SEM-derived structural information and optional EDS elemental mapping provides comprehensive 3D insight into battery microstructure, chemistry, electrode architecture, particle distribution, contaminants, porosity and degradation from the same region of interest. The resulting multimodal datasets can be visualized in Tescan 3D Viewer™ software, enabling intuitive exploration of correlated 3D structural, elemental, and chemical information.

SEI and Battery Interface Analysis

High-spatial-resolution ToF-SIMS depth profiling enables detailed investigation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), and buried battery interfaces. The resulting chemical information provides deeper insight into interfacial reactions, electrolyte decomposition products, degradation processes, and performance-limiting mechanisms.

Enhanced Chemical Species Identification and Spectral Interpretation

The high-mass-resolution H-TOF analyzer delivers more precise chemical information through improved peak separation, enhanced species identification, and reliable spectral interpretation. This capability supports accurate characterization of battery materials, interphases, degradation products, and reaction mechanisms.

Inert Gas Transfer and Cryogenic Workflows for Sensitive Battery Materials

Seamless inert gas transfer and cryogenic workflows preserve the native chemical and structural state of air-sensitive and beam-sensitive battery materials from preparation to analysis, enabling high-fidelity ToF-SIMS characterization of lithium metal, solid electrolytes, SEI, electrode interfaces, and other sensitive battery components.

WHERE TESCAN FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

High-Sensitivity Lithium Mapping, Isotope-Resolved Analysis, and Failure Investigation

Correlative Structural and Compositional Insights into Battery Materials

Large-Scale Multimodal 3D Battery Material Characterization

Integration with high-throughput Xe Plasma FIB technology enables extensive, cross-sectional analysis and multimodal 3D tomography of large, statistically relevant battery material volumes. Concurrent ToF-SIMS analysis and FIB serial sectioning generate accurate volumetric chemical data, while correlation with SEM-derived structural information and optional EDS elemental mapping provides comprehensive 3D insight into battery microstructure, chemistry, electrode architecture, particle distribution, contaminants, porosity and degradation from the same region of interest. The resulting multimodal datasets can be visualized in Tescan 3D Viewer™ software, enabling intuitive exploration of correlated 3D structural, elemental, and chemical information.

SEI and Battery Interface Analysis

High-spatial-resolution ToF-SIMS depth profiling enables detailed investigation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), cathode electrolyte interphase, and buried battery interfaces. The resulting chemical information provides deeper insight into interfacial reactions, electrolyte decomposition products, degradation processes, and performance-limiting mechanisms.

Enhanced Chemical Species Identification and Spectral Interpretation

Inert Gas Transfer and Cryogenic Workflows for Sensitive Battery Materials

FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS

Technical specification

*Detection limit (ppm)**	C-TOF	H-TOF
ToF-SIMS type	C-TOF (Compact)	H-TOF (High-mass-resolution)
Mass resolution	>800	>3500
Minimum mass range (Th)	0 - 170	0 - 240

Ga⁺ FIB	3	10
Xe⁺ FIB	1.5	5

*Spatial resolution (nm)**	C-TOF	H-TOF
Ga⁺ FIB	40	40
Xe⁺ FIB	60	60
*Depth resolution (nm)**	3	6
*Depends on FIB performance, operating conditions, and sample composition.

ToF-SIMS type

C-TOF (Compact)

H-TOF (High-mass-resolution)

Mass resolution	>800	>3500
Minimum mass range (Th)	0 - 170	0 - 240

*Detection limit (ppm)**

C-TOF

H-TOF

Ga⁺ FIB	3	10
Xe⁺ FIB	1.5	5

*Spatial resolution (nm)**

C-TOF

H-TOF

Ga⁺ FIB	40	40
Xe⁺ FIB	60	60
*Depth resolution (nm)**	3	6
*Depends on FIB performance, operating conditions, and sample composition.

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Tescan Brno
Libušina třída 21
623 00 Brno
Czech Republic 

130405923 us US 37.09024 -95.712891 25.3575 29.349345 20.67957527 42.082797 39.91384763 -33.693421 13.93320106 3.039986586 31.997988 38.050985 47.579533 48.1485965 58.375799 54.663142 19.195447 56.975106 47.916997 50.493053 45.868592 10.79556993 44.35660598 43.2371604 55.536415 14.557577179752773 32.100937 -6.116829 -6.212299277967318 33.600194 -12.08688 23.7104 -33.471062 31.998740087 -23.69149395 43.462349 51.529848 49.1893523 49.197486 25.072375 31.075811 1.299027 40.676979 52.30150662 51.013813 35.684121 37.566531 52.246622 40.581349 39.911632 -26.1811371 41.818215 33.429928

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Tescan FIB-SEM Integrated ToF-SIMS for Battery Research

Linking battery composition, microstructure, and performance

Surface and subsurface analysis from electrode to particle scale

Comprehensive insights into battery materials and interfaces

WHERE TESCAN FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

WHERE TESCAN FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

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FIB-SEM INTEGRATED TOF-SIMS

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