Chalmers Microscopy School

SEM School 2023

FOCUS

The three-day course SEM 2023 on imaging and microanalysis in focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) will cover the basics of instrumentation, imaging and analysis techniques, as well as advanced methodologies and in-situ methods to be used inside the SEMS and FIB/SEMs, such as mechanical testing using nano-indentors.

THEORY AND PRACTICE

SEM 2023 will combine theory and practical experience. The lectures in the morning sessions will give a background to the afternoon laboratory sessions. The course participants are encouraged to bring their own specimens to open lab evening sessions.

EQUIPMENT

The laboratory sessions will be carried out on SEMs and FIB/SEMs with surrounding interactive equipment for chemical and structural analysis. Top-of-the-line instrumentation and software from Bruker, EDAX, Thermo Fischer, Jeol, Hitachi, Oxford Instruments, TESCAN, Zeiss, 3D Micromac, Alemnis and Nenovison will be shown by participating companies. In addition, equipment at the Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory (CMAL) will be used. 

CONTENT

The 3-day course at Chalmers during 24 - 26 October, 2023, is running with a new program. The focus this year spans from the basics to advanced imaging, microanalysis and in-situ investigations. This year we are excited to have an invited guest lecturer, Prof. Raynald Gauvin from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He will give three lectures on topics such as:

Advanced imaging

• Low-voltage in the SEM
• STEM in the SEM
• HR-SEM, nanometers precipitates
• HR-STEM, Precipitates and lattice imaging
• Detectors, lower SE, upper SE, BSE
• Imaging with energy filtration of SE
• Automation with deep learning

Advanced chemical analysis

• Advanced EDX in the SEM and the STEM low voltage, the f ratio method
• Quantitative x-ray Microanalysis of heterogeneous materials
• X-Ray microanalysis of Li
• EELS at 30 keV in STEM mode
• Deep Learning and quantitative x-ray microanalysis

Mechanical testing and characterisation

• Channeling contrast
• Plastic deformation
• Dislocation imaging in the SEM
• Dark field EBSD
• Strain fields after ex-situ indentation
• Dislocations in STEM mode in the SEM

In addition we will cover the basics of scanning electron microscopy and associated techniques. Topics we will cover include:

• Instrumentation
• Basic theory
• Image formation
• Optimising for chemical analysis (EDX) and diffraction (EBSD, TKD)
• Data acquisition
• Data analysis
• New developments
• … and much more!

So, to keep up with the latest development in the SEM area (and associated techniques) - very welcome to this year’s school.

The general set-up will be similar to earlier years, lectures in the mornings, lab sessions in the afternoons and Open labs (where you can bring your own samples) in the evenings. We have talks from application specialists from participating vendors. We have a very interesting program being put together for you so we hope to see you in Gothenburg in October.

We are continuously updating as more information is known to us. Please spread the information about the course to interested colleagues and friends.

Welcome to SEM 2023 - a Chalmers Microscopy School course!

- Mats Halvarsson

Schedule 

 

Registration for SEM 2023 

Fully booked - registration has now closed.

The next course will take place on October 24-26, 2023. 40 seats are available.

The SEM 2023 course fee is 9.500 SEK + VAT (moms).

The fee includes:

• attendance to all lectures
• attendance to all laboratory sessions
• lecture notes
• morning and afternoon coffee/tea, snack
• lunches
• course dinner 
• evening sandwich 

About the school

Chalmers Microscopy School was founded in 1998. The school is a course programme given by the Division of Microstructure Physics at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology. The courses combine theory with laboratory work, and are given in close collaboration between scientists and manufacturers of electron microscopes and equipment for microanalysis and specimen preparation. Both university scientists and application specialists from the manufacturers are engaged as lecturers and instructors at the laboratory sessions. More than 800 engineers, technicians and scientists, coming from nine countries, have taken our courses.

The aim of Chalmers Microscopy School is to bring together electron microscopists from industry and university, and to provide a meeting place where new developments are discussed with colleagues and application specialists. The course participants are encouraged to bring their own specimens to the Open Lab evening sessions.

Top-of-the-line instruments and software from the following manufacturers have been brought to the courses: