Acquisition of JEOL IB-19520CCP Cryo Cross Section Polisher for Site-Specific Preparation of Non-Mechanically Milled, Broad Cross-Sections and Surfaces of Difficult Materials

On behalf of the Electron Microscopy Center (EMC, College of Engineering, ASTeCC building), the PI is proposing the acquisition of a broad beam ion milling system from JEOL. Using this instrument, large samples (millimeter scale) made of difficult materials can be cross-sectioned and/or polished following an automated process: soft and/or hard materials, multilayered specimens, friable or fragile samples which cannot be prepared by traditional mechanical sectioning methods. This capability is not currently available at the University of Kentucky, and researchers conducting energy-focused investigations must rely on external centers or companies to prepare their samples. In addition, the proposed system can be used to polish large surfaces on flat samples, with no damage nor elemental/chemical alteration of the material. The damage-free surfaces that result from this preparation technique lead to high-contrast images, allow the analysis of unmodified chemical composition, and provide strong and clean signals for electron imaging and phase analysis/crystal orientation in the scanning electron microscope (SEM), over large regions of interest. The JEOL ion milling system will be housed at the EMC and be fully accessible to all users across campus, in the same way as other characterization equipment available in the center. Instrument maintenance and user training will be performed by existing EMC staff members. This new capability will unlock multiple research opportunities in energy research fields and will complement the other instruments available at the EMC.