HTSM topsector funding for Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari and Jacob Hoogenboom

Nieuws - 05 november 2021 - Communication ImPhys

Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari and Jacob Hoogenboom received a HTSM top-sector funding of € 534.000 for their project: “MEMS-based optics components for high-resolution electron/ion microscopy”. They will study the electron optics performance of designed and fabricated components both experimentally and via computer simulations, including study of the interaction of energetic electrons with the micron- and nanoscale patterned features that form the functional units in the MEMS-components (Roadmap Nanotechnology).

Background
The continuous development of advanced electron microscope components (lenses, sources, aberration correctors) have made electron microscopy a key enabling technology for high-resolution inspection in materials and life sciences and in industry. These components however tend to be technologically complex and bulky, making high-resolution microscopes relatively large and expensive (1-5 M€). Microfabrication (MEMS-based components) offers a route to shrink the size of these components, potentially leading to drastic reductions in costs and footprint. Moreover, MEMS components can give rise to new functionality such as the MEMS-fabricated hole array that is used to generate multiple beam-lets in our new multi-beam scanning electron microscope. To fully unlock the potential of MEMS-components for cheaper and higher resolution electron microscopy, MEMS-based alternative to standard components have to be manufactured and the interaction of MEMS-sized structures with the propagating electron beams has to be studied in more detail.

Project goal 
We propose to optimize the design and construction process of MEMS-based electron microscope components such as aberration correctors and beam-splitters for high-resolution microscopy (Roadmaps Advanced Instrumentation & Nanotechnology). We will study the electron optics performance of designed and fabricated components both experimentally and via computer simulations, including study of the interaction of energetic electrons with the micron- and nanoscale patterned features that form the functional units in the MEMS-components (Roadmap Nanotechnology).

Project title: MEMS-based optics components for high-resolution electron/ion microscopy. Total project budget: € 534.000