Summer Protochips News Letter

PROTOCHIPS CONNECTIONS

IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS

High Frame Rate (HFR) Module

The recent release of the High Frame Rate (HFR) module in AXON Synchronicity marks a significant advancement in high frame rate imaging for in situ electron microscopy. This feature offers users the capability to manage high frame rate imaging, data management and review precisely when needed, without filling their hard drives with redundant images during periods of lower activity. Coupling with Gatan In-Situ, this allows someone, for example, to run at a low screening frame rate for most of their thermal ramp, shifting to the high frame rates available on Gatan’s high speed cameras when the targeted interaction and change occurs. Additionally, by utilizing the HFR module, users

can downscale both image size and frame rate from the native acquisition, optimizing data acquisition to suit their specific requirements.

Moreover, the integration of metadata from the microscope with these high-value datasets further enhances the utility of the HFR module. The seamless connection between data and metadata allows for easy and rapid review of the acquired images in the AXON Studio review platform. This streamlined workflow not only saves valuable time but also enhances the user experience by providing a comprehensive and efficient

solution for managing and analyzing high frame rate imaging data with precision and convenience. With the HFR module in AXON Synchronicity, researchers can now harness the full potential of high frame rate imaging without compromising on storage space or data accessibility.

Tim Eldred | Product Marketing Manager

Import and Analyze your Gatan In situ Data with an Elegant and Powerful Tool

DISTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT

Xspect Solutions is our distributor in Scandinavia, with market-leading scientific instrumentation for electron microscopy. The company was founded in 2020 with a mission to provide solutions, product and support for both electron microscopy and sample preparation.

Additionally, Xspect Solutions has more than 30 years of experience in electron microscopy products, as well as X-ray analysis and sample preparation, which means they are an excellent source for the Protochips userbase for questions

and enquiries. Michael Andersson, founder of Xspect Solutions, can be found visiting customers and attending conferences, such as Scandem 2023, as can be seen in the photograph in this page. If you want to meet Michael yourself and talk about all the interesting products he represents, you can find him next year at the ECM conference in Copenhagen.

Next to Protochips’ products, Xspect Solutions also supports Bruker, Fischione Instruments, NanoMEGAS and Spicer Consulting.

HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATION

Xspect Solutions can be contacted via Michael Andersson

Email: michael.andersson@xspect.se

Website: https://xspect.se/

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Written by John Damiano

Our E-chips are a fundamental part of our product portfolio, and many customers are surprised to learn that we design and manufacture them ourselves! How does a small company manage to do this? By investing in a team with the right skill set and enabling them to use that experience to bring exciting new capabilities to the world. At Protochips, that team is Mike Puchan and Mark Perkins…and while they’re often hard to recognize in their cleanroom “bunny suits”, we’d like to recognize their efforts to make Protochips a leader in E-chips.

Mike Puchan grew up in New Jersey and earned an Associate’s degree in Electronics Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology in Woodbridge NJ. He started his career at IBM in Fishkill NY in 1987, then transferred to IBM Charlotte in 1993 before leaving the company in 1997. After moving to Raleigh in 1997, he worked for various companies including MCNC and RTI Inc. Mike joined Protochips in 2009, one of seven employees at that time. He says, “I have had the pleasure of working with great team of people and watching Protochips grow. I have enjoyed the many challenges at Protochips with E-chip R&D work and improving existing manufacturing processes in the cleanroom.”

Outside of work, Mike has been a huge NASCAR fan, attending races at several tracks including The Coca-Cola 600 for 20 consecutive years. He enjoys going to hockey games and concerts and spending time with family in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Mark Perkins grew up in Mooresville, NC. He joined the Navy after high school and saw the world as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate, spending his four-year enlistment onboard two different aircraft carriers. His choice to leave the Navy led him to IBM in Charlotte, NC for the next 13 years where he was teamed up with a Northern transplant…one Mike Puchan! They ended their work partnership when Mike moved to the Raleigh in 1997. They stayed in touch for the next several years at various NASCAR races until 2004 when Mark once again joined Mike in the workplace.

He then worked at several places sans Mike until 2015 when Mark began his career at Protochips. Mark says, “I couldn’t have asked for a better company and a better group of people to be associated with at the end of my career. These are the people I’ll always remember.”

Outside of work, Mark has recently rekindled his passion for fishing. Mark also enjoys the company of his wife Sherry and their seven grandchildren and encouraging Sherry’s Jeep obsession.

Thanks to Mike and Mark for their many years of hard work. If you see them outside of the “bunny suits”, be sure to say hi!

Mike Puchan & Mark Perkins Semiconductor Technicians

NAM 2023 RECAP

Protochips made its mark as an exhibitor at the 28th North American Meeting (NAM) of the North American Catalysis Society held in Providence, Rhode Island from June 18th to 23rd. This biennial conference is a prestigious and well-attended four-day event that celebrates the advancement of cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research in the field of catalysis from scientists across the globe through talks and poster presentations.

Representing Protochips at NAM28 were Mike Coy (Director of Marketing and Global Applications), Nynke Krans, (Application Scientist), Jennifer McConnell (Product Management) and Zayna King (Product Specialist). The genuine interest in Protochips from the attendees, coupled with our enthusiasm to demonstrate the capabilities of the Atmosphere AX Solution in heterogenous catalysis research, led to productive discussions, valuable feedback, and unparalleled insight from the community at large.

In addition to catching up with longstanding customers and collaborators, we were also able to connect with new researchers to learn about their exciting projects. While the exhibit hall fostered engaging conversations about novel research developments in the catalysis field, the technical sessions with invited speakers provided a wealth of knowledge about scientific advancements in and through in situ TEM techniques. Mini symposia such as “Applications of In Situ Microcopy” featuring some of our own customers, like Dr. Peter Crozier from Arizona State University and Dr. Ilke Arslan from Argonne National Laboratory welcomed a large audience and were positively received suggesting strong interest in in situ TEM.

Overall, a successful and busy exhibitor booth experience at NAM was a positive sign for in situ TEM research within the field of catalysis. It is clear that bridging the gap from bulk to nano includes in situ research to obtain knowledge and understanding to designing more efficient and stable catalysts.

“This biennial conference is a prestigious and well-attended four-day event...”

Zayna King, Ph.D. Product Specialist

Dr. Nynke Krans | Applications Scientist EMEA

Product spotlight: Using a Standard Reference Electrode during In Situ Electron Microscopy

Electrochemical measurements are an indispensable tool for many applications, including material analyses, sensors, manufacturing processes and energy storage. Due to the high demand for these products to become more efficient, there is an increasing need to observe these materials at the nanoscale, in real time. To observe these reactions, in-situ and operando TEM studies using electrochemistry combined with liquid phase electron microscopy is used.

How can the Poseidon AX be used in electrochemical reactions?

In order to perform electrochemical measurements inside the TEM during an operando study, it is necessary to utilize an in-situ holder with electrochemical capabilities. The Poseidon AX system isolates the sample and its environment from the high vacuum of the TEM column by enclosing it between a pair of semiconductor MEMs devices called E-chips.

• Each E-chip contains an ultrathin, electron transparent membrane which forms a viewing window.

• The working, counter and reference electrodes are patterned onto the E-chip surface.

• An external potentiostat delivers and measures the electrochemical stimuli and resulting output through the shaft of the sample holder.

What are the main limitations of the system?

Due to limitations imposed by the spatial dimensions required for TEM sample holders; electrodes patterned onto the E-chip for in-situ/operando TEM experiments must be compatible with semiconductor lithography processes. This miniaturization of electrochemical reactions means that there is a limitation in the fabrication of different reference electrodes (REs). So far, most systems work with platinum REs, which serve as a pseudoreference. The major issues with this are:

• The platinum pseudo-reference can lead to a large amount of uncertainty (~0.1V) in measured potentials

• Due to the use of a pseudo-RE, there are limitations in comparison with bulk results using standard REs

How can these limitations be overcome?

To overcome the limitations of an on-chip pseudo-RE, we have developed an external reference electrode solution designed to pair with the Poseidon AX system. This setup can utilize any number of commercially available electrodes, allowing the user the ability to employ conventional REs and eliminate crosscontamination of their experiment from the RE.

The setup consists of a shielded metal bridge connecting the on-chip reference electrode to an external electrolyte solution containing a commercial reference electrode. The external RE is insulated from noise and interference through a dedicated Faraday cage with pass-throughs that minimize mechanical and electronic interference. In this arrangement, the metal bridge acts as the conducting bridge between the active electrochemical cell inside the microscope and a shielded electrolyte cell containing the reference electrode located externally to the microscope.

Flow Management E-chips for Electrochemistry

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

Flow Management E-chips for Electrochemistry

Improve Your Experiment’s Performance with Maximum Microfluidic Control

• The large fluid reservoirs allow for a more bulk style environment while maintaining a thin liquid layer for imaging

• Pair with our thinner electrochemistry chips for increased flex ibility in liquid layer thickness, with spacer sizes for electrochemistry down to 100 nm, without sacrificing electrical performance or overall flow

• Readily dissolve bubbles formed at the working electrode, allow ing controlled cycles of de-wetting and re-wetting for maximizing r esolution

• Prevent bubbles formed at the counter electrode from interferin g with imaging and electrical performance, allowing for longer, uninterrupted experiments.

OUR CUSTOMERS

“The availability of quick temperature ramping/cooling and stable holders with minimal drift has greatly facilitated conducting high-quality in situ experiments with ease. It has proven especially beneficial for us, enabling faster acquisition of valuable data compared to before.”

Prof. Peter Crozier Piyush

Haluai

New Flow Management small E-chips have deep channels to improve control over flow and bubbles

Scan the QR code to join the waiting list

AMERICAS

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, USA PROTOCHIPS HQ

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA SALES

AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA SALES

EMEA UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS APPLICATIONS

BERLIN, GERMANY SERVICE & APPLICATIONS

LONDON, ENGLAND SALES

ASIA

SHANGHAI, CHINA SERVICE & APPLICATIONS

TOKYO, JAPAN APPLICATIONS