AXT in conjunction with DENSsolutions have installed the first Climate in situ TEM platform in Australia. The installation took place at the Australian Centre of Microscopy and Microanalysis at the University of Sydney.

The Climate is in an innovative system that enables complex studies involving controlled gas environments and elevated temperatures to be carried out within the vacuum confines of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). This enables researchers to observe changes at the sub-Angstrom level under precisely controlled conditions that can mimic real world operating conditions. An understanding of a materials behaviour under service conditions can accelerate the development process and provide invaluable data on real life performance.

Researchers at the University of Sydney will have many applications for the system. Amongst the first will be projects including catalysts for hydrogen generation, methane breakdown in relation to global warming and environmental corrosion of metals, all of which that have direct ecological and societal impacts.

When asked about the Climate acquisition, Dr. Vijay Bhatia, SEM Manager commented, “The Climate system best fit the requirements of our multi-user, core facility catering to users from many different disciplines. The flexibility of the platform, interchangeability of parts and future-proof design in conjunction with the user-friendly and intuitive software made it the obvious choice for us”.

Richard Trett, Managing Director at AXT replied, “The ability to carry out dynamic studies within a TEM extends the capabilities of the microscope beyond what the manufacturers have originally designed them for. This allows our researchers to gather more relevant data more quickly. Providing cutting-edge solutions like the Climate fulfils our mission to ensure Australian research is amongst the best in the world.”