Characterisation of research materials at an atomic level requires the use of extremely high resolution microscopy. The national facility FEG TEM at University of Western Cape is South Africa’s first Field Emission TEM (the Tecnai F20).

It is equipped with EDS, STEM (Scanning TEM), EELS (Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy) and a HAADF (High Angle Angular Dark Field) detector. HAADF signals come from electrons which are elastically scattered and makes high resolution intensity imaging of single atom columns routinely possible, provided the probe size is sufficiently small (about 0.2 nm and smaller). EELS (or PEELS) on the other hand, utilizes an energy filtering system for the in-elastically scattered high energy electrons, thereby allowing the user to gain qualitative and quantitative elemental information about the specimen, as well as structural information. Software for 3D reconstruction and resolution enhancement (True image) is also available. 

The facility can be viewed by clicking here