First results obtained using the CENBG nanobeam line: Performances and applications

Abstract

Keywords: Ion nanobeam uclear microprobe Magnetic quadrupoles Ion beam optics Ion beam analysisA high resolution focused beam line has been recently installed on the AIFIRA ("Applications Interdisciplinaires des Faisceaux d'lons en Region Aquitaine") facility at CENBG. This nanobeam line, based on a doublet-triplet configuration of Oxford Microbeam Ltd. OM-50™ quadrupoles, offers the opportunity to focus protons, deuterons and alpha particles in the MeV energy range to a sub-micrometer beam spot. The beam optics design has been studied in detail and optimized using detailed ray-tracing simulations and the full mechanical design of the beam line was reported in the Debrecen ICNMTA conference in 2008. During the last two years, the lenses have been carefully aligned and the target chamber has been fully equipped with particle and X-ray detectors, microscopes and precise positioning stages. The beam line is now operational and has been used for its first applications to ion beam analysis. Interestingly, this set-up turned out to be a very versatile tool for a wide range of applications. Indeed, even if it was not intended during the design phase, the ion optics configuration offers the opportunity to work either with a high current microbeam (using the triplet only) or with a lower current beam presenting a sub-micrometer resolution (using the doublet-triplet configuration).The performances of the CENBG nanobeam line are presented for both configurations. Quantitative data concerning the beam lateral resolutions at different beam currents are provided. Finally, the first results obtained for different types of application are shown, including nuclear reaction analysis at the micrometer scale and the first results on biological samples.

Comparison of experimental proton-induced fluorescence spectra for a selection of thin high-Z samples with Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations

“…In particular, this facility is equipped with a nanobeam line in a doublet-triplet magnetic configuration allowing sub-micrometre lateral resolution under vacuum [9], which is routinely used for PIXE analysis [10,11].…”

Single Cell In Situ Detection and Quantification of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Using Multimodal Correlative Microscopy

“…The μ-STIM microscopy also reveals all the local changes in the cell density ( Figure 1e) and cell structures such as the nucleus, nucleolus, and cytoplasm. 45 The particle-induced secondary electron microscopy (PISEM) provides a surface image of the cells (Figure 1). The resolution is lower than that obtained with high-resolution conventional SEM (using electrons) but reveals the integrity of the analyzed cells and the presence of dense aggregates of TRITC-TiO 2 NPs adsorbed on the cell surface (white dots pointed by arrows).…”

Biomedical applications of the ESRF synchrotron-based microspectroscopy platform

“…Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique has a good sensitivity at the micron scale and even at sub-micron resolution, as recently demonstrated (Barberet et al, 2011). It is a fully quantitative method when coupled to Rutherford backscattering spectrometry but suffers from radiation-induced effects and a limited sensitivity compared to synchrotron XRF microscopy.…”