Ernst Ruska Center
| Ernst Ruska Center (ER-C) for microscopy and spectroscopy with electrons | |
|---|---|
| Carrier: | RWTH Aachen , Research Center Jülich |
| Membership: | Helmholtz Association |
| Facility location: | Jülich |
| Type of research: | Electron microscopy |
| Management: | Joachim Mayer, Rafal Dunin-Borkowski |
| Homepage: | www.er-c.org |
The Ernst Ruska Center (ER-C) for microscopy and spectroscopy with electrons is a German research facility, which is operated jointly by Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University and named after Ernst Ruska .
The central tasks of the ER-C include basic research in method development using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy . The ER-C operates some of the most modern transmission electron microscopes and develops appropriately designed software.
The contract for the establishment of the Ernst Ruska Center was signed on January 27, 2004 by the then rector of RWTH Aachen University Burkhard Rauhut and the head of the Jülich Research Center, Joachim Treusch . The facility was inaugurated on May 28, 2006 in the presence of members of the Ernst Ruskas family and representatives of international electron microscopy research. The facility is managed by the scientists Rafal Dunin-Borkowski (Forschungszentrum Jülich) and Joachim Mayer (head of the joint laboratory for electron microscopy at RWTH Aachen University).
Research equipment
13 electron microscopes from the manufacturers FEI Company and JEOL are housed in the ER-C . They range from standard devices to highly specialized TITAN transmission electron microscopes that are equipped with correctors for spherical aberrations and offer a resolution of less than 100 picometers . On December 12, 2008, the ER-C and FEI Company announced the construction of a further developed system that enables a resolution of 50 picometers. It has been possible to use this device, known as PICO, since 2010 . For the first time in electron microscopy, it also enables chromatic aberrations to be corrected. In this way, atomic structures can be examined more precisely than ever before. A large part of the equipment of the ER-C is also accessible to external users.
Research tasks
The ER-C deals with the conditions and characteristics of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. This is also the most common examination method used at the facility. The numerical software required is largely developed by our own scientists and is used worldwide to control optical aberrations , among other things . Materials science research projects at ER-C deal with epitaxy and the relaxation of nanostructured materials. The material groups that are being investigated include nanostructured electroceramics , complex metal alloys, semiconductor materials and oxide superconductors .
Web links
- Website of the Ernst Ruska Center (English)
- Presentation of the Ernst Ruska Center (pdf, German)