Thermo Scientific Helios 5 Hydra DualBeam FIB-SEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific has released the Thermo Scientific Helios 5 Hydra DualBeam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM). Built for a wide range of uses, from metals and battery characterisation to structural biology, the instrument is suitable for labs that conduct both materials and life science research.

The instrument allows materials scientists to discover and design new materials and analyse their structures and properties. Ease of use and advanced automation capabilities enable users with limited experience to obtain expert-level results.

Life science researchers can meanwhile uncover high-quality sample details from even the most challenging samples. The product offers the throughput and flexibility necessary for the ultrastructural studies on biological samples and opens avenues for accessing large-volume, high-resolution, gallium-free sample characterisation and 3D visualisation. It is a versatile tool for undertaking high-throughput cellular FIB-SEM tomography, addressing the limitations of restricted sample compatibility.

The device provides four distinct ion species — oxygen, argon, xenon and nitrogen — so researchers can select the specific ion beam to achieve the best results for their sample. Researchers can switch between these ion species in <10 min without sacrificing performance, providing flexibility and expanding the application space. For example, materials scientists can use the oxygen ion beam to obtain optimised results for carbon-based materials, such as carbon fibre reinforced composites, to help develop safe, light and strong materials for the automotive or aerospace industries.

The product meanwhile provides life scientists with the optimal choice of ion species combination for every sample, regardless of the resin type or staining procedure. For example, oxygen plasma beam is the best choice for milling commonly used resins in life sciences and provides improved image quality and data acquisition efficiency (up to 2x faster than gallium FIB) on most biological samples.