ZEISS Sigma

Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

ZEISS Sigma Family

Your ZEISS SIGMA FE-SEMs for High Quality Imaging and Advanced Analytical Microscopy

ZEISS Sigma 300 delivers excellence in price and performance. Achieve your elemental analysis fast and convenient with the best-in-class EDS geometry of ZEISS Sigma 500. Count on accurate, reproducible results – from any sample, every time.

Flexible Detection. 4-Step Workflow. Advanced Analytics.

Combine field emission SEM (FE-SEM) technology with analytics. Profit from proven Gemini electron optics. Choose from a variety of detector options: image particles, surfaces, and nanostructures in materials science, investigate semiconductor or medical devices, geological or biological samples. Save time with the semi-automated 4-step workflow of Sigma: structure your imaging and analysis routines and increase productivity. FE-SEM users of all disciplines in research and industry labs now benefit from a resolution of 1.3 nm at 1 kV in ZEISS Sigma 500 and better usability all around.

Highlights

Compositional mode.

Topographical mode.

_{Gain information on topography and composition in a single detector.}^{Solar cell, imaged with aBSD at 5 kV and high vacuum.}

Flexible Detection for Clear Images

Tailor Sigma to your needs using the latest detection technology and characterize all of your samples.
Characterize composition, crystallography and surface topography with the annular backscatter detector (aBSD). It delivers excellent low kV images under all vacuum conditions. Benefit from improved sensitivity, increased signal-to-noise ratio, and more speed.
Enjoy a new generation of secondary electron (SE) detectors. Benefit from the C2D and VPSE detectors of Sigma in variable pressure mode: working at low vacuum, you can expect crisp images with up to 85% more contrast.

Automate and Speed up Your Workflow

A 4-step workflow lets you control all the functionality of your Sigma. Benefit from fast time-to-image and save time on training - especially in a multi-user environment.
First, navigate your sample and then set optimal imaging conditions.
Next, automatically acquire images across multiple samples utilizing regions of interest (ROIs). Finally use the workflow’s last step for contextual visualization of your results.
Finally, SmartSEM Touch collects and presents your data as an interactive map so you can understand your sample completely.

Speed up X-ray analyses with best-in-class EDS geometry.

Perform Advanced Analytical Microscopy

Combine scanning electron microscopy and elemental analytics: the best-in-class EDS geometry of Sigma increases your analytical productivity, especially on beam sensitive samples.
Get analytical data at half the probe current and twice the speed.
Achieve complete, shadow-free analytics in your FE-SEM. Profit from using a short analytical working distance of 8.5 mm and a take-off angle of 35°.

Technology

Schematic cross section of Gemini 1 optical column.

Based on Proven Gemini Technology

The Gemini objective lens design combines electrostatic and magnetic fields to maximize optical performance while reducing field influences at the sample to a minimum. This enables excellent imaging, even on challenging samples such as magnetic materials.
The Gemini Inlens detection concept ensures efficient signal detection by detecting secondary (SE) and/or backscattered (BSE) electrons minimizing time-to-image.
Gemini beam booster technology guarantees small probe sizes and high signal-to-noise ratios.

Schematic cross-section of Gemini 1 optical column with detectors.

Flexible Detection for Clear Images

Characterize all of your samples with the latest detection technology.
Get topographical, high resolution information with the ETSE and the Inlens detector for high vacuum mode.
Obtain crisp images in variable pressure mode with the VPSE or the C2D detector.
Produce high resolution transmission images with the aSTEM detector.
Investigate composition and topography with the aBSD detector.
Align the aperture fast and easy with the new auto-wobble.

Applications

Materials Science

Reveal high surface detail in surface defect inspection of non-conductive microlenses, even at 300 V, with the ETSE detector.

Fibers with embedded silver nanoparticles, from antimicrobial dressings in wound care. 1 kV, left: Inlens Duo SE, right: Inlens Duo BSE, image width 90 µm

Lanthanum carbonate is a phosphate binder used as an oral therapeutic agent for dialysis patients, imaged at 1 kV with Inlens Duo BSE.

Platinum grains showing grain boundary slip planes, imaged at 4 kV with AsB detector, image width 69 µm.

CVD-grown MoS2 2D crystals on Si/SiO2 substrate: The RISE image demonstrates wrinkles and overlapping parts of the MoS2 crystals (green), multilayers (blue) and single layers (red), image width 32 µm.

CVD-grown MoS<sub>2</sub><br /> 2D crystals on Si/SiO2 substrate: The RISE image demonstrates wrinkles and overlapping parts of the MoS2 crystals (green), multilayers (blue) and single layers (red), image width 32 µm.

Polymer mixture of polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA): These two polymers form an immiscible blend. The domain structures are clearly imaged where PS is blue and PMMA is red, image width 288 µm.

Life Sciences

The delicate open structure of a radiolarian is imaged effortlessly by the ETSE detector at 1 kV under high vacuum , image width 183 µm.

Mushroom spores imaged at 1 kV at high vacuum. These delicate, fragile structures can be imaged easily with Sigma 500 at low voltage.

Pearl surface: This RISE image overlaid on a SEM image makes it possible to differentiate between aragonite and vaterite phases, image width 154 µm . Both are CaCO3 polymorphs that are present in milky pearls.

They have the same chemical compositions, but different crystal structures (Raman spectrum, right). Aragonite (blue) and vaterite (red) can be clearly differentiated by means of Raman spectra.

Geosciences & Natural Resources

Rock sample imaged with the YAG-BSD which delivers images at high speeds due to the performance in light conducting of the YAG crystal, imaged at 20 kV.

Nickel sulphide ore. Mineralogic mineral EDS map.

Iron Mineralogy: Raman identification of iron ore minerals ((RISE/SEM image overlaid, image width 66 µm).

Differences in the spectra of hematite are attributed to the different orientations of the crystals (Raman spectrum, right: hematite is red, blue, green, orange and pink; goethite is light blue).

Industrial Applications

Non-conductive titanium dioxide nanoparticles used as pigments and opacifying agents can be imaged easily at 40 Pa in VP mode with the C2D, image width 10 µm.

25 – 50 nm iron oxide particles imaged with the aSTEM detector in darkfield mode at 20 kV.

Superconductor alloy sample imaged at 1 kV with the aBSD. (Scalebar 20 µm)

Accessories

SmartEDX

Discover Embedded Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Analysis

If SEM imaging alone isn’t enough to gain a complete understanding of your samples turn to embedded EDS for microanalysis in the SEM. Acquire spatially resolved elemental chemistry information with a solution optimized for low voltage applications.

Optimization for routine microanalysis applications and detection of low energy X-rays from light elements thanks to superior transmissivity of the silicon nitride window
Workflow-guided graphical user interface improves ease-of-use and repeatability in multi-user environments
Total service and system support by a ZEISS engineer is giving you a one-stop-shop for installation, preventive maintenance and warranty

Raman Imaging and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Reap the Benefits of Fully Integrated RISE

Complement the characterization of your material and add Raman Spectroscopic Imaging. Get a chemical fingerprint from your sample and extend your ZEISS Sigma 300 with confocal Raman imaging capability.

Recognize molecular and crystallographic information
Perform 3D analysis and correlate SEM imaging, with Raman mapping and EDS data if appropriate
Fully integrated RISE lets you take advantage of both best-in-class SEM and Raman systems

Software

ZEISS SmartSEM Touch - Get more Hands on Deck

SmartSEM Touch, an add-on to the established operation system, is a simplified user-interface for multi-user environments. It comes with easy operation for both experienced and novice users. Depending on the actual laboratory environment, operation of the SEM can be the exclusive domain of expert electron microscopists. But this situation is challenged by the very common necessity that non-expert users, such as students, trainees, or quality engineers, also require data from the SEM. Sigma 300 and Sigma 300 VP take both requirements into account, with user interface options that cater to the operational needs of experienced microscopists as well as non-microscopists.

ZEISS Atlas 5 – Master Your Multi-scale Challenge

Atlas 5 makes your life easier: create comprehensive multi-scale, multi-modal images with a sample-centric correlative environment. Atlas 5 is the powerful yet intuitive hardware and software package that extends the capacity of your scanning electron microscope.

3D Surface Modelling – 3DSM

Your scanning electron microscope measures and analyzes all kinds of samples in 2D: to analyze the surfaces of samples in 3D, use 3DSM, the optional software package from ZEISS. Get topographical information by reconstructing a complete 3D model of your sample’s surface using the signals of backscatter detectors.

Lithium-ion Battery

Visualization and Analysis Software

ZEISS recommends Dragonfly Pro from Object Research Systems (ORS)
An advanced analysis and visualization software solution for your 3D data acquired by a variety of technologies including X-ray, FIB-SEM, SEM and helium ion microscopy.

Available exclusively through ZEISS, ORS Dragonfly Pro offers an intuitive, complete, and customizable toolkit for visualization and analysis of large 3D grayscale data. Dragonfly Pro allows for navigation, annotation, creation of media files, including video production, of your 3D data. Perform image processing, segmentation, and object analysis to quantify your results.