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The J105 SIMS at the Rosalind Franklin Institute

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The J105 at the Franklin

After a concerted effort of moving and installation, one of Ionoptika’s J105 SIMS instruments has found its new home at the Rosalind Franklin Institute (Franklin) in Harwell Campus.

The Franklin is a national research institute, dedicated to tackling health research challenges through the development of new technologies. One of their fields of research is Biological Mass Spectrometry, with Dr Felicia Green overseeing this particular project.

Application of the J105 at the Franklin

Before the building of the Franklin was completed, the J105 was installed in Manchester University, in Professor Nick Lockyer’s group. Its high sensitivity has enabled the observation of large biomolecules and their multiple charge species, never previously observed. Additionally, work performed by Prof Lockyer and Dr Sadia Sheraz in Manchester, on coupling the J105’s capabilities with laser post-ionisation, opens up a new field of research into boosting sensitivity of low abundance analytes.

Professor Lockyer and Dr Sheraz with the J105

Now, the Franklin will apply this ability in producing 3D SIMS images of tissue samples while maintaining structural biomolecular information.

The future of this collaboration

We are excited to see the broadening range of applications and collaborations across the Franklin and further afield that this new facility will facilitate, developing and making use of high sensitivity and sub-cellular mass spectrometry imaging at cryo-temperatures. Additionally, moving the J105 into the mass spectrometry laboratory at the Franklin will enable the use of complementary MS techniques. This will help explore and validate the –omics information produced in ToF-SIMS processes and continue developing post ionisation to further enhance sensitivity.

Commenting on the move of the J105 to the Franklin, Dr Felicia Green stated:

“We are excited by the arrival of this unique instrument. Following on from the work at Manchester we believe it has great scope to enable a broad range of research across multiple Franklin areas”.

State-of-the-art mass spectrometry methods have become essential in understanding the nature and interactions of molecules in an organism. Ionoptika is extremely proud that the J105 will be able to further contribute to Franklin’s in this growing field.

Ionoptika Ltd

SIMS23 Rowland Hill Awards

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The 23rd secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS 23) conference was held in Minneapolis, MN, from 18 – 23 September 2022.

The biennial event is a forum for colleagues from academic, industrial, and national laboratories worldwide to exchange results and new ideas on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and related techniques.

The banquet dinner was held on Wednesday of the conference week and was an opportunity for the attendees to relax, network, and catch up with old friends.

The dinner also hosted the Rowland Hill Awards. Rowland Hill was a founder and former managing director of Ionoptika, who sadly passed away in 2015. Ionoptika established the Rowland Hill Awards in his honour to recognise excellence in SIMS research and to promote young and early career researchers.

The winners of this year’s awards were Karolin Bomhardt and Svenja-Katharina Otto, both of Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Alfred Fransson of the University of Gothenburg, and Matija Lagator, of the University of Manchester.

Many congratulations to all the winners!

Winners of the Rowland Hill Awards 2022, from left to right: Alfred Fransson, Karolin Bomhardt, Matija Lagator, and Svenja-Katharina Otto. Also pictured are Greg Fisher (Physical Electronics) and Anna Belu (Medtronic). Images are courtesy of Heather Korff/AVS.

For a list of all upcoming conferences, shows, and exhibits, see our Events page.

Picture of a human melanoma cell line growing in tissue culture

High-resolution multi-omics profiling of individual cells

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In a landmark publication, Tian et al. demonstrate the feasibility of combined GCIB/C60 SIMS imaging for multi-omics profiling in the same tissue section at the single-cell level.

A new approach

Multi-omics data are vital to understanding normal regulatory processes and are essential for designing new anti-cancer modalities. Unfortunately, sample preparation methods between different omics are typically incompatible. As such, it is nearly impossible to correlate multiple omics profiles within the same sample, let alone their spatial co-localisation at the single-cell level.

The new approach developed by Tian et al. thus represents a significant leap forward.

The study, reported in the journal Analytical Chemistry, uses a multimodal approach using the J105 SIMS to correlate different cell types. First, water cluster SIMS maps the lipids and metabolites in individual cells. Then, multiplexed SIMS imaging with a high-resolution C60 beam maps the same tissue section stained by lanthanide tagged antibodies.

Close up picture of a microscope

Multiplexed SIMS imaging involves linking specific lanthanide isotopes to antibodies and applying them to the tissue. Subsequent SIMS imaging of the lanthanides maps multiple cellular epitopes at sub-cellular resolution.

The combined approach of water cluster SIMS plus multiplexed ion beam imaging on the same tissue section enables mapping lipids, proteins, and metabolites at the single-cell level.

High-resolution multi-omics

Cryogenic water cluster SIMS was conducted on the J105 SIMS at 1.6-micron beam spot size on fresh frozen sections of invasive ductal carcinoma/ductal carcinoma in situ (IDC/DCIS) tissue. This analysis was followed by staining with lanthanide-tagged antibodies on the same frozen-hydrated tissue and imaging the same region using a C60 beam with a 1.1 µm spot size.

Workflow schematic. The frozen-hydrated IDC/DCIS sample is first analysed using water cluster SIMS with a 1.6 µm spot size. The sample is then stained with lanthanide-tagged antibodies and imaged with C60-SIMS with a 1.1 µm spot size. Image reproduced from Anal. Chem. 2021, 93, 23, 8143-8151.

The first results

Water cluster SIMS revealed the distributions and intensities of more than 150 lipids and important metabolites up to m/z 2000. HCA analysis revealed considerable variation between the location of cluster SIMS identified ions and the nine C60-SIMS cell markers.

This work represents the first successful attempt to profile proteins, lipids, and metabolites on the same tissue at the single-cell level. GCIB-SIMS, especially water clusters, has demonstrated its unique ability to detect lipids and metabolites in biological samples at unprecedented resolutions.

Picture of a person placing a sample into the J105 SIMS

Using a combined SIMS imaging approach enables the correlation of different cell types with their metabolic and lipidomic status. It offers valuable information about proteins, lipids, and metabolites on the same sample and at the same resolution.

The J105 SIMS provides a unique platform for this multimodal SIMS approach. The only instrument to offer water cluster SIMS plus multiplexed ion beam imaging, the J105 also provides high mass accuracy and tandem MS capabilities for accurate ion assignment.

Read the complete publication here.

Experience the capabilities of the J105 SIMS for yourself by booking a demonstration. Get in touch with our sales team today to organise your demo.

Q-One Ion ColumnIonoptika

New funding boosts the UK’s future in Quantum manufacturing

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Q-One single ion implantation

Ionoptika Ltd and the University of Surrey have been awarded project grants worth a total of £425,000.00 from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to expand their research into new manufacturing technologies for quantum devices.

Quantum technologies are expected to create impact across multiple sectors from more secure online communications to personalised medicine. However, to date only a handful of companies, such as IBM and Google, have successfully built a basic quantum computer because of the extreme challenges to manufacture and operate these devices. This new Innovate grant will open up new scalable manufacturing methods to researchers in the UK and around the world.

The project, entitled “Rapid and Scalable Single Colour-Centre Implantation for Single Photon Sources”, was recommended for funding by a panel of independent assessors, who concluded that “This is an innovative project by two expert partners. If it is successful, it will lead to a unique product that may possibly revolutionise quantum computing.”

Ionoptika Ltd, together with the University of Surrey, will use beams of ionised atoms to create quantum devices one at a time using rare earth elements such as erbium and ytterbium. Ion beams are used widely in the scientific and manufacturing sectors, from the production of computer chips to medical diagnostic instrumentation and cancer treatment.

The technique, known as ion implantation, has been used for decades to make modern computer chips and benefits from being much quicker than other manufacturing methods. The main limitation of the technique for quantum applications has been the inability to precisely control the location and numbers of implanted ions at the single-ion level. The new tool from Ionoptika, called Q-One, solves this problem yet is still fast enough to implant one thousand quantum bits (qubits) every second.

Q-One Single Ion Implantation

The funding comes on the back of $1.3bn in UK government funding allocated for quantum technologies research.1 It is expected to help Ionoptika expand, creating 20+ highly skilled STEM jobs in the Southampton area over the next 5-10 years, and injecting £6m+ into the UK engineering supply chain.

Paul Blenkinsopp, Managing Director at Ionoptika, commented, “Quantum technologies are set to drive the next generation of innovation and technologies. Ionoptika is delighted to be working with the University of Surrey on developing the tools and infrastructure that will be needed to realise many of these exciting quantum applications.”

Dr David Cox, from the University of Surrey, added, “The University of Surrey through the National Ion Beam Centre is delighted to work on this project with Ionoptika. The ability to precisely control the implantation of ions at the single-atom level offers enormous potential to the newly emerging quantum technologies that are set to revolutionise the world.”

Press release: pressat.co.uk/releases/new-funding-boosts-the-uks-future-in-quantum-manufacturing-766391c0ab7bf7129d63a0993739e010/

Ionoptika, a UK SME based in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, has driven innovation in scientific instrumentation for 27 years. Manufacturing state-of-the-art ion beam systems for labs around the world, they have contributed to research from fields as diverse as cancer research to quantum computers. For more information visit www.ionoptika.com.

1https://www.qureca.com/overview-on-quantum-initiatives-worldwide-update-mid-2021/

Stigmatic imaging SIMS prototype installed at the University of Oxford

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Ionoptika have installed a prototype mass spec instrument at the University of Oxford, marking an exciting development milestone in this project. The prototype, which is a collaboration between the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the University of Oxford, and Ionoptika, is a new design of stigmatic imaging mass spectrometer.

The first stage of this project took place at Ionoptika’s headquarters near Southampton, where this unique instrument was built and tested. Researchers at the University of Oxford will now begin initial characterization and alignment of the primary ion beam, before the addition of extraction optics and high speed stigmatic detectors.

stigmatic imaging SIMS prototype
The prototype installed at the University of Oxford

The stigmatic imaging SIMS instrument will enable rapid molecular mapping of biological tissues at unprecedented speed, as this type of mass spectrometry imaging decouples acquisition time from spatial resolution. Typically mass spectrometry imaging, such as the J105 SIMS, scans across a surface taking a mass spectrum at each spot to build up the pixels of the image.

In this case, however, the whole surface is imaged simultaneously using state of the art cameras that operate as an array of position and time sensitive detectors that record a mass spectrum for each pixel in the camera image. It therefore represents a promising route to attaining higher throughput.

The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a new national institute, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation, dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through interdisciplinary research and technology development. The work is focused into five complementary themes including a Biological Mass Spectrometry theme, of which this new prototype is a part.

Read the full press release here.

Ionoptika offers custom vacuum instrumentation and ion beam systems for a range of applications, including vacuum chambers, sample handling and load-locks, cameras, and secondary electron imaging, as well as our range of ion beams. If you have a project in mind and would like a no obligation quote, get in touch via our Contact Page and we would be delighted to discuss it with you.

Analyse v2.0.2.15 Release

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We are happy to announce the release of Analyse v2.0.2.15 for all J105 SIMS customers. This long awaited release brings with it a host of new features as well as several bug fixes. Chief among the new features is a new imzML file converter. To download the new release, simply go to our downloads page and click on the link.

gcib 10s webinarIonoptika 2020

GCIB 10S Webinar in association with UCVAC

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On Thursday, in collaboration with UCVAC, we held a webinar on the GCIB 10S Gas Cluster Ion Beam for potential customers in China. The webinar was a great success, and we will certainly look to use this format again to connect with potential customers around the world, particularly while travel restrictions remain in place.

IONOPTIKA recently authorized UCVAC as its sole agent in mainland China and Hong Kong. With extensive experience in the surface science markets, UCVAC are well placed to assist business development and provide technical support in the region. We look forward to working together, and this webinar was a fantastic way to kick things off.

The GCIB 10S is a high-performance gas cluster ion beam that delivers rapid, low-damage sputtering for superior quality surface analysis. An ideal upgrade for a variety of instruments, such as XPS, SEM, SPM, and SIMS, the GCIB 10S brings many powerful advantages in an economical, low-maintenance package.

Ultra-low-energy sputtering by argon cluster ions helps to efficiently remove material while producing very low damage and minimal loss of chemical information, leaving a pristine surface for analysis. Removing just a few nanometres per cycle, the GCIB 10S is the ideal tool for achieving ultra-high-resolution depth profile analysis.

If you missed it live, you can watch the full webinar below.

RADIATE: Research And Development with Ion Beams – Advancing Technology in Europe

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RADIATE logo

Ionoptika has joined forces with 14 partners from public research and 3 other SMEs for the RADIATE project, exchanging experience and best practice examples in order to structure the European Research Area of ion technology application.

Besides further developing ion beam technology and strengthening the cooperation between European ion beam infrastructures, RADIATE is committed to providing easy, flexible and efficient access for researchers from academia and industry to the participating ion beam facilities. About 15,800 hours of transnational access in total is going to be offered free of charge to users who successfully underwent the RADIATE proposal procedure.

Joint research activities and workshops aim to strengthen Europe’s leading role in ion beam science and technology. The collaboration with industrial partners will tackle specific challenges for major advances across multiple subfields of ion beam science and technology.

RADIATE aims to attract new users from a variety of research fields, who are not yet acquainted with ion beam techniques in their research, and introduce them to ion beam technology and its applicability to their field of research. New users will be given extensive support and training.

The project is monitored by an External Advisory Board for quality assurance and guidance. Users with accepted proposals for RADIATE’s transnational access program are selected by an external user selection panel to ensure an unbiased and fair selection process.

RADIATE is building on the achievements of SPIRIT (Support of Public and Industrial Research using Ion Beam Technology), a previous EU funded project coordinated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). SPIRIT ran from 2009 to 2013 and united 7 European ion beam centers and 4 research providers.

To learn more about RADIATE or to get involved, please visit the website.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824096

Ionoptika 2020

J105 SIMS

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J105 SIMS



ToF SIMS with
Unparalleled Sensitivity



The J105 SIMS is a state-of-the-art 3D imaging ToF SIMS that delivers class-leading sensitivity with exceptional imaging and mass spectrometry performance. Combining innovative design and cutting-edge science with a comprehensive list of features, the J105 redefines what ToF SIMS can do.



  • Rapid high-resolution 2D and 3D molecular imaging.

  • Consistent mass accuracy and mass resolution across all samples, independent of sample height.

  • Unrivalled sensitivity and imaging MS performance with Ionoptika’s patented Water Source.

  • Range of high-performance ion beams to suit every application.

  • High-mass accuracy and tandem MS for accurate peak assignment.

  • Full cryo-sample handling capabilities.


Obtain high-resolution 3D chemical images without running a “sputter-only” cycle ever again! Thanks to the unique combination of high-performance cluster ion beams and innovative buncher-ToF analyser, analysis and low-damage etching on the J105 occur simultaneously. As cluster beams are used for analysis, “sputter-only” cycles are not needed and every layer is analysed, making the J105 SIMS an extremely accurate tool for 3D imaging and depth profile analysis.

A New Single Ion Implantation Tool

A New Tool for Quantum Device Fabrication

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July 10th 2018 — A new single ion implantation tool is launched at the UK National Ion Beam Centre. Part of a 3 year project between Ionoptika and the University of Surrey and funded by the EPSRC, the new instrument will enable researchers to create new quantum devices faster than ever before.

The instrument, named SIMPLE (Single Ion Multi-species Positioning at Low Energy), was launched during the 16th International Conference on Nuclear Microprobe Technology and Applications (ICNMTA2018) held at the University of Surrey (click here to read the press release).

SIMPLE Instrument

SIMPLE instrument installed at Surrey Ion Beam Centre | Photo courtesy Nathan Cassidy.

Quantum Technology

Quantum mechanics – that fascinating and sometimes bizarre theory governing the world of the very small – has enormous potential to revolutionize many aspects of modern technology. More secure digital communication, “quantum safe” cryptography methods, more accurate time measurements, and faster, more powerful computers are all thought possible.

Quantum computers in particular are an exciting prospect — it’s expected that they will be capable of solving problems not currently feasible even by our most powerful super computers. Actually building a quantum computer, however, remains an hugely ambitious challenge.

One design for a quantum bit, or qubit – the basic building block of a quantum computer – was put forward by Bruce Kane in 1998. It involves embedding pairs of donor atoms, such as phosphorous, very close to one another (~ 20 nm) within a silicon lattice. Known as electron-mediated nuclear spin coupling, the idea has been successfully utilized by researchers to fabricate individual qubits.

Qubit device schematic

Schematic of Kane’s proposed electron-mediated nuclear spin coupling qubit device.

Using a scanning tunneling microscope, researchers carefully placed individual P atoms using an atomically sharp tip and by stimulating chemical reactions on an atom-by-atom basis. An incredibly intricate technique, it can take several days of meticulous preparation to create just a single qubit. A remarkable feat, however a faster, more scalable method is clearly required.

Single Ion Implantation

The SIMPLE project was established with this objective – to develop an instrument platform for the reliable fabrication of arrays of qubits, with high speed and high precision, using single-ion implantation.

A well established technique in the semiconductor industry, the principles of large-scale ion implantation can be applied to implant individual ions when the parameters are very carefully controlled. Leveraging Ionoptika’s expertise in ion beam design and detection, an instrument platform was designed that is capable of producing an array of millions of implanted ions in just a fraction of a second.

The need for new quantum fabrication technologies

The need for new quantum fabrication technologies

 

The instrument comprises a highly focused, sub-20 nm mass-filtered ion column, a nano-precision stage, and high-sensitivity single ion implantation detection system. While detecting single ion events with high enough consistency for wide scale production remains a challenge, progress in this area has been encouraging, and confidence is high that this goal will be met. And when it is, it will mark a world first, and will usher in a new era of quantum computing.

 

SIMS-China 2018

The 7th Chinese National Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-China VII)

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Ionoptika are delighted to announce we are sponsoring the 7th Chinese National Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-China VII), which will be held from 9-12th October, 2018, at the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences in Suzhou, China. The conference aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on recent advances in SIMS. We look forward to seeing you there!

Conference website 

FLIG5 Floating Ion Beam System

FLIG® 5

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FLIG 5 Floating Low Energy Ion Beam
FLIG 5 Floating Low Energy Ion Beam
FLIG 5 Floating Low Energy Ion Beam

FLIG® 5

Floating Low Energy Ion Beam


The FLIG® 5 is floating low energy ion beam system designed primarily for use on SIMS depth profiling instruments. It has a floating column which transports O2+ ions at relatively high energy prior to deceleration in the final lens. This enables it to deliver a probe of high current density at beam energies as low as 200 eV. This low energy performance makes the FLIG® 5 a powerful tool for shallow depth profiling.

Highlights

  • Option of O2 or Cs source
  • 200 eV to 5 keV Energy Range
  • Ideal for shallow depth profiling

Request Info

DetailsSpecifications

The Need for Low Energy Profiling

The requirement for high depth resolution dynamic SIMS arises from the reduction in device size in the semiconductor industry. With the use of low implantation energies and new technology dependent on delta-doping and sharp interfaces, it is increasingly important to have access to depth profiling techniques which can quantify these structures both accurately and reproducibly.

When profiling with energetic oxygen beams, the kinetic energy of the incident particles is transferred to the near surface region of the sample, creating an altered layer in which atomic mixing has occurred. The depth of this layer is approximately 4nm per keV for an O2+ beam, and this imposes an absolute limit on depth resolution. Hence, it is necessary to use energies well below 1keV for profiling of shallow junctions.

Another important factor in the analysis of shallow implants is the transient region which occurs at the surface and at matrix interfaces. At the beginning of a shallow profile, the ion and sputter yields vary rapidly as probe atoms are incorporated into the analysed surface, and the surface chemistry changes. Similar effects occur at matrix interfaces. While this behaviour persists the depth profile is not quantifiable, and any features lying within the transient will be distorted. The thickness of the region, and hence the amount of lost information, can be reduced by using low impact energies.



The Principle of the Floating Ion Gun

In a conventional ion gun, ions are transported through almost the whole ion-optical column at an energy determined by the anode voltage. Thus, to attain a 250 eV impact energy (on a grounded sample) the anode must be set to 250 V and the beam travels through the column at this energy. At such low energy, space charge effects and aberrations of the wide beam seriously limit the final intensity of the probe and impair the probe shape.

In the floating ion gun, almost all of the column is floated to a negative potential and the beam is accelerated to a more viable transport energy between the extraction region and the final lens. Inside the final lens, the beam is decelerated to the desired impact energy. Thus, for a 250 eV impact energy, the anode is set to 250 V and the float could be -3 kV giving a transport energy of 3.25 keV. This provides a significant reduction in beam aberrations. In the FLIG, the Wien filter electrostatic plates and alignment units (including a bend to reject neutrals) are all referenced to the float voltage.



High Erosion Rate, Even at Low Energy

Shallow junction profiling requires the use of a low energy primary beam in order to minimise the effects of atomic mixing induced by the beam. As sputter yield reduces with lower energies, it is vital that the low energy probe has a high current density. Figure 1 shows characteristic plots of probe size versus beam current for the FLIG 5.

The FLIG 5’s high brightness duoplasmatron source and floating column optics deliver exceptional probe intensity, in comparison with conventional systems, facilitating low energy profiling with acceptable erosion rates.



High Depth Resolution and Dynamic Range

To attain high depth resolution without sacrificing erosion rate, the bottom of the analysis crater must remain flat through the profile. A good probe shape, with minimum aberration tails, is essential to minimise curvature at the sides of the crater. Reducing the extent of this curvature enhances depth resolution and dynamic range, as well as allowing the use of smaller scan fields and hence shorter analysis time.

Current vs spot size for the FLIG

Figure 1. Current vs spot size for the FLIG® 5.

The FLIG’s floating column transports the beam through most of the optics at high energy (generally between 2.5keV and 5keV). This greatly assists in reducing beam spreading in the column and concomitant aberrations in the probe. The result is sub-nanometre depth resolution at low energy, with profiles showing high dynamic range at all energies.

The depth resolution capability is demonstrated in Figure 2, which shows profiles of a Si-Ge superlattice. Grown by MBE, this structure has alternating 1nm layers of Si and Ge. The low energy profile shows a 45% valley between Ge peaks 14 and 15, showing the feature to be easily resolved.

Depth profiles of SiGe lattice

Figure 2. Depth profiles of SiGe lattice

A remarkable feature is the apparent increase in resolution with depth in the low energy profile. A cross-sectional TEM image of the sample revealed that the upper layers were buckled, causing the lower resolution of the top layers.



Ease of Operation

Control of the voltage settings in the FLIG is greatly simplified by the use of a computer software interface. This allows many useful features to be built into software, the most valuable being the facility to save complete sets of operating voltages. Critical control voltages such as extraction and alignment are referenced to other supplies rather than ground to simplify tuning of the column.

The system is ready for use with automated systems which can command a change of preset conditions, when required, using ASCII commands.

Beam Energy Range:200 eV to 5 keV
Max. Current (5 kV):> 500 nA
Min. Spot Size (5 kV, 500 nA):< 15 μm
Max. Current (1 kV):> 350 nA
Min. Spot Size (1 kV, 100 nA):< 25 μm
Max. Current (250 eV):> 250 nA
Min. Spot Size (250 eV, 100 nA):< 50 μm