Tomography

What it tells you: the above techniques, but in 3D!

Tomography allows us to collect XRF, DPC, ptychography or XRD information in three dimensions. This can help mitigate thickness or shape variations in your sample.

For this technique, we collect an image using the technique of your choice at angles from 0-180 degrees, usually at a rotational step size of 1-2 degrees. This leads to a lot of maps!

Things to consider:

Sample preparation – We require samples to be on pins, with nothing behind them in any direction. The pins need to be of a specific height and your sample size should be within a range of 20-30 microns. The larger your sample, the longer your map will be, and the less resolution you may have time for.  We are happy to discuss options for sample preparation.

Time – Tomography takes a long time (90 or 180 x the time for one map).

Data analysis – Our pipelines for analysis require some knowledge and input to work properly, and can be quite sample specific. You may need to iterate some steps to achieve the best alignment and reconstruction.  

More info: https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EM00509G.