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Ultimate spatial resolution and low energy performance for EDS in the SEM. Combining Extreme electronics and windowless construction with optimised geometry and sensor design delivers up to 15x greater sensitivity than a conventional large area SDD.
Biological specimen analysis at low KV with light element sensitivity
Detection and mapping of Li X-rays
Work at energies of less than 2kV to deliver sub 10nm spatial resolution in bulk samples
Materials characterisation at sub 1kV
Combine with immersion optics to collect high sensitivity data at up to 30kV with no compromise
Ultim Extreme Silicon Drift Detector is a breakthrough solution for ultra high resolution FEG-SEM applications and delivers solutions beyond conventional micro- and nano-analysis.
The Ultim Extreme is a windowless 100 mm2 version of Ultim designed to maximise sensitivity and spatial resolution. It uses a radical geometry to optimise both imaging and EDS performance in ultra-high resolution FEG-SEMs while working at low kV and short working distance. With Ultim Extreme, EDS resolution approaches that of the SEM.
Ultim Extreme provides definitive elemental detection for biological samples, enabling fast, accurate data collection in low kV conditions suited to life science SEM applications. A very short working distance and windowless award-winning detector design combined with our optimised electronics and data processing results in 10-30x higher sensitivity for low energy X-rays.
The Ultim Extreme detector for biological applications demonstrates:
100nm section of unstained leaf tissue on aluminium stub, imaged using 2.5kV for 15 minutes.
Venus’ fly trap leaves and glands imaged with the Ultim Extreme detector at 5kV. Layered EDS maps shows clear nitrogen signals as well as a differential osmium and zinc localisation (left). Osmium can be used as a mask when applied to backscattered images collected across several sections using array tomography (yellow in middle image and pink in right image showing 3D data of chloroplasts).
Find out more on EDS for Biology Download White PaperMaterials characterisation at 2kV or less
Example: Reducing accelerating voltage from 10 to 1.5kV allows electron image contrast to show the distribution of oxide particles. X-ray mapping under the same conditions characterises precipitates as MnOB. Map acquisition time 15 minutes. Sample courtesy of JFE Steel.
Fastest nano-characterisation
Example: X-ray QuantMaps collected at 3kV, 15,000cps for 22 minutes to characterise NbTi Nitride and Al Oxide nano-precipitates in a Ni- base superalloy (Alloy 718). Sample and data courtesy of University of Manchester.
Most accurate nano-characterisation
Example: Spectrum processing of low energy lines to create QuantMaps to characterise NbTi Nitride and Al Oxide nano-precipitates in a Ni- base superalloy (Alloy 718)
Ultim Extreme uses a special electron trap and windowless operation to achieve the required performance to meet its target applications. Its windowless operation provides improvements in count rate of 2-3x for light elements, and nearly 1.5x for the highest lines that can be detected. In combination with the improvement in solid angle this provides a sensitivity boost of 10-30x compared to conventional large area SDD with thin windows. For extremely low energy lines the improvements is even greater and further increased by the use of extreme electronics developed for Li-detection.
Example: First detection of Lithium
The Ultim Extreme is a windowless 100 mm2 version of Ultim designed to maximise sensitivity and spatial resolution. It uses a radical geometry to optimise both imaging and EDS performance in ultra-high resolution FEG-SEMs.
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