Science & Technology, UK (Commonwealth Union) – Manchester researchers are pioneering a groundbreaking endeavor: the development of a revolutionary Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), known as AutomaTEM, which seamlessly integrates state-of-the-art imaging and spectroscopy with artificial intelligence and automated workflows.
The application of artificial intelligence has enhanced much of the scientific research conducted in various fields in recent years with tis ability to micro analyze vast sums of data with super precision. However certain limitations have also been noted and likely to be mitigated as the technology is fine tuned for more specific purposes. Much of the artificial intelligence learns over time, which gives it the ability to eventually bring in greater specificity.
While conventional TEMs excel at imaging atomic-scale structures and chemistry, their inherently time-intensive nature restricts the exploration of areas of interest within samples, known as ROIs. AutomaTEM aims to overcome this limitation, enhancing the capability to identify and analyze ROIs swiftly, thereby reducing time expenditure and expanding the scope of investigation. Consequently, it promises to expedite advancements in materials science applications such as quantum computing, low-power electronics, and innovative catalysts crucial for supporting the energy transition.
Funding for the development of AutomaTEM is provided through a £9.5 million initiative supported by The University of Manchester, The Henry Royce Institute, bp, and EPSRC, in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific. Led by Professor Sarah Haigh, the Manchester team will integrate TEM’s existing capabilities in atomic-scale elemental and chemical mapping with cutting-edge advancements in automation and data analysis to realize AutomaTEM—a tool capable of generating vast datasets of local chemical information in a matter of days, rather than years.
Professor Sarah Haigh, renowned for her expertise in Materials Characterization and serving as Director of the Electron Microscopy Centre (EMC) at The University of Manchester, emphasizes the critical role of understanding atomic details at micrometer or millimeter scales in advancing various fields, including catalysis, quantum technologies, nuclear energy, and pharmaceuticals.
“This system is not simply another TEM instrument. It will provide new opportunities for atomic scale investigation of materials with less human intervention. For the first time we will be able to enable atomic resolution analysis of hundreds of regions of interest in a matter of hours, providing unprecedented insights into sparse defects and heterogeneous materials.”
At the heart of AutomaTEM lies a fusion of artificial intelligence and automated workflows, culminating in a suite of groundbreaking features. These consist of computer-controlled adjustments of the sample stage and beam, enabling intricate high-resolution imaging and diffraction-based analysis with no constant operator intervention. Integration of machine learning facilitates the segmentation of lower resolution data and establishes functional correlations within experimental outcomes, enriching the discovery of novel features. AutomaTEM further boasts a world-class Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) system renowned for its exceptional collection efficiency, ensuring precise compositional analysis. Complementing these capabilities is a novel design of a high-performance electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS), tailored for the chemical analysis of diverse species within complex systems.
Developed in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific, this custom-built instrument is slated for arrival in the summer of 2025. Thermo Fisher Scientific has granted Professor Haigh’s team access to the requisite API controls and will provide an EDS system boasting an unparalleled collection efficiency of 4.5 srad.
The AutomaTEM will find its home in The University of Manchester’s Electron Microscopy Centre (EMC), a premier facility in the UK. The EMC currently hosts 6 transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), 13 scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), and 6 focused ion beam (FIB) instruments. Serving over 500 internal users from 12 different UoM Departments, the center also welcomes users from renowned institutes worldwide, including Cardiff, Durham, Queen Mary, and Manchester Metropolitan universities, University of Cape Town (SA), as well as industry partners like Ceres Power, Nexperia, Nanoco, bp, Johnson Matthey, Oxford Instruments, and UKAEA.
AutomaTEM is set to be accesible to users from outside for free proof of principle academic projects going up to 30% of its complete utilization, when the initial 3 years have taken place to assist in bringing in collaboration and to further research capabilities.
Dr Alexander Eggeman, Royal Society University Research Fellow from The University of Manchester, who is the lead co-investigator on the project, says “The faster, more accurate analysis capabilities of AutomaTEM represent a significant leap forward in materials science research.
“With the potential to impact various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor, the AutomaTEM aims to support the UK’s position at the forefront of materials science innovation.
