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LAME – Electron Microscopy Laboratory

The Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LAME), established in 2022, is focused on advanced characterisation of materials and it is part of the Innovative Materials Platform. It will be fully operational from 2025 and will operate in complete synergy with the research infrastructures (such as Elettra Sincrotrone and FERMI), institutes and companies located at Area Science Park. Equipped with advanced tools, LAME will carry out research programmes in collaboration with academia and industry and with national and international organisations, to provide open access to advanced tools in the field of electron microscopy.

LAME’s activities will be launched upon completion of state-of-the-art electron microscopy labs for analysis and advanced characterisation of materials, even boasting a latest-generation double-corrected TEM/STEM microscope. The equipment and scientific mission of LAME will be strongly rooted in European standards and aimed at the realisation of competitive research programmes in the field of materials science and nanotechnology.

LAME research activities involve various areas:

  • morphological and chemical-composition analysis of materials using scanning electron microscopy (SEM);
  • nano-manipulation, growth of nanostructures and in-situ preparation of lamellae for TEM microscopy using dual beam FIB-SEM technology;
  • fine analysis of materials using TEM instrumentation capable of carrying out high-resolution TEM and STEM analyses, tomographic analysis and chemical-composition analysis;
  • fine analysis of materials using TEM instrumentation capable of performing nanostructural analyses using a sub-Angstrom probe and electron energy-loss spectroscopy down to a resolution of below 300meV;
  • in-situ/operando analysis of transient states within materials such as structural transitions, effects of corrosive processes, etc.

The images, acquired by a microscope, will be analysed using artificial-intelligence techniques for automatic annotation of images, compression, identification of physical processes and/or instrument anomalies and building of maps to navigate the database effectively and interactively.

LAME will also be one of the main hubs of the project IMPRESS. The project, started on 1 February 2023, aims to develop a platform for advanced and interoperable electron microscopy instrumentation, in order to create a collaborative network of microscopy experts and industries operating in the sector. IMPRESS will enable development of innovative prototypes, designed according to open standards and capable of meeting the requirements of a broad range of users in numerous fields of application, from materials science to biology, catalysis, batteries and diagnostic imaging.

Currently and until labs are fully operational, LAME’s scientific activity is based on the use of TEM instrumentation of CNR-IOM operating inside the NFFA Trieste Project.

LABORATORY CHIEF: Regina Ciancio

For information and access to the instrumentation, contact: regina.ciancio@areasciencepark.it

Latest LAME publications: