Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit

Housed within the School of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit provides expertise and support in advanced materials characterisation to students and researchers from across the University of Portsmouth, as well as regional industry.

Our laboratories contain state-of-the-art instrumentation, with dedicated technical and academic support. The laboratory includes wide-ranging capabilities for micro- to nano-scale characterisation of materials by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM. We specialise in microstructural analysis by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), as well as microchemical analysis by energy dispersive X-ray microscopy (SEM-EDS) and laser ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).

Our facilities support many research groups and provide training and consultancy opportunities for academic and industrial collaborators in the areas of:

Biological Sciences
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Mechanical Engineering
Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences
Geography
Planetary Science
Forensic Science

For more information, please contact Prof. James Darling, Director of the Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit, or see the link below.

More information on the EMMU and how to access it

Equipment

Focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM)

Our Tescan Amber FIB-SEM was installed in 2024, bringing ultra-high resolution (UHR) imaging and precise Ga+ FIB milling capabilities to EMMU. The system offers outstanding SEM imaging capabilities at 1-30 keV, scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) imaging, and the FIB can be utilised for micro-sectioning, TEM/STEM liftouts, atom probe sample preparation and more. The system is also equipped with Oxford Symmetry S2 EBSD and Ultim Max EDS detectors for nanostructural and chemical characterization.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

We have four scanning electron microscopes (SEM) equipped with a wide-range of detector types for analysis of a wide-range of materials under high- and low-vacuum conditions. These include systems with field-emission gun, LaB6 and tungsten electron sources, and detector systems for secondary electron (SE), backscattered electron (BSE), cathodoluminescence (CL), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The instruments are supported by dedicated sample preparation and coating equipment.

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)

We specialize in micro- to nano-scale structural analysis of natural and manufactured materials by EBSD, using an Oxford Instruments Symmetry S2 detector and Aztec software.

Laser-ablation inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

The Mass Spectrometry and Laser Ablation Laboratory hosts state-of-the-art equipment to measure trace elements and isotope ratios in a wide range of natural and industrial materials. These include a NERC funded UV-femtosecond LA-LIBS system and 193 nm nanosecond excimer laser ablation system, either of which can be coupled to an Agilent 8900 ICP-MS/MS and/or Nu Plasma MC-ICP-MS.

High performance light microscopy

We have a range of light microscopes that can be used in support of Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit activities. These include stereo, transmitted polarizing light and reflected light microscopes.