NanoImages brings in-situ laser heating to scanning and transmission electron microscopes through the Waviks Vesta™ optical platform — a precision laser-electron coupling system that delivers photothermal stimulation, point spectroscopy, and atomic-scale nanofabrication at the electron-beam coincident point. Vesta turns an existing electron microscope into a multi-purpose synthesis and characterization tool, without permanent modifications and without breaking vacuum.
Furthermore, Vesta is available for new or existing full-size SEMs, as well as new or existing TEMs and STEMs. Notably, it is also the only platform of its kind offered on a tabletop SEM — exclusively integrated with the SEC SNE-Alpha desktop SEM distributed in the US by NanoImages.
Photothermal Stimulation at the Electron-Beam Coincident Point
Waviks Vesta delivers a focused laser to the same point the electron beam is interrogating. The result is precision in-situ heating, optical excitation, and spectroscopy on the exact feature being imaged — with no sample transfer, no re-registration, and no compromise to electron-optical performance.
- Spot precision: ~10 µm focused laser spot at the coincident point
- Minimal heating-induced sample drift: as low as 2.2 nm/min measured in STEM
- Vacuum compatible: operates to 10⁻¹⁰ torr
- Multi-wavelength: UV through IR, modular and swappable
- Variable pulse width: nanosecond pulses to continuous wave
- Plug-and-play: no permanent modifications to the microscope
Where In-Situ Laser Heating for SEM and TEM Is Available
In-Situ Laser Heating for SEM (Tabletop and Full-Size)
Vesta integrates with any existing or new full-size SEM through a port-mounted sapphire window with the optics at atmospheric pressure. On the tabletop side, the SNE-Alpha is the only desktop SEM that supports the full Vesta capability set — a configuration unique to NanoImages.
In-Situ Laser Heating for TEM and STEM Instruments
For TEM and STEM, Vesta installs on new or existing instruments and has been demonstrated at 10⁻¹⁰ torr on a Nion UltraSTEM 200. Furthermore, custom Waviks µMirrors redirect the photon beam to the coincident point inside tight TEM geometries. As a result, the system works with both standard holders and MEMS eChip heating holders.
FIB and Dual-Beam Systems
In addition, Vesta port-mounts to FIB and dual-beam platforms. This integration adds precision photothermal and spectroscopic capability alongside conventional ion-beam workflows.
Core Capabilities
In-situ laser heating for SEM and TEM with Vesta delivers four tightly coupled capabilities at the electron-beam coincident point:
Precision Photothermal Control
Nanosecond pulses through continuous-wave delivery enable extreme local temperatures — over 1000 °C — with minimal cumulative drift. As a result, localized heating of micron-scale spots makes phase-transformation studies practical. Moreover, you can run multiple temperature experiments on a single sample to accelerate discovery.
Point Spectroscopy at the Coincident Point
With Vesta, you can acquire Raman, cathodoluminescence (CL), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements at the electron-beam point of analysis. As a result, the data reveals phases, stress states, defects, and bandgap information that SE and BSE imaging alone cannot resolve. For semiconductor failure analysis and 2D material characterization, that extra layer of information proves critical.
Stimulated EELS and EEGS
In TEM and STEM, photon-stimulated electron spectroscopy probes plasmonic fields, phonon vibrations, and transient electronic states. As a result, researchers gain immediate structure-property correlation at the coincident point, without any optical sample transfer.
Atomic-Scale Nanofabrication via Pulsed Laser Deposition
In-situ pulsed laser deposition supplies controlled atomized material from dedicated targets. Consequently, the workflow eliminates reliance on scarce native atoms or surface contaminants. Moreover, Vesta is compatible with electrical holders, which enables simultaneous heating, biasing, and fabrication. To date, the platform has been demonstrated at 10⁻¹⁰ torr on a Nion UltraSTEM 200.
Surface Engineering and Process Optimization
During imaging or patterning, you can perform non-contact cleaning, decontamination, and surface activation. In addition, enhanced deposition and etching support nanoscale fabrication. As a result, process exploration runs without vacuum breaks.
Where Vesta Solves Real Research Bottlenecks
Material Supply for Atomic Fabrication
Conventional in-situ fabrication relies on native atoms or surface contamination, which restricts the available materials palette and undermines reproducibility. Gas and liquid cells compromise resolution; e-beam-induced deposition faces purity constraints. In-situ laser ablation through Vesta expands the materials palette, pulsed delivery improves deposit purity, and the Python API enables AI-driven automation for repeatable atomic assembly.
Nanoscale Temperature Measurement
Thermometry at the nanoscale is fundamentally hard: simulations need accurate properties, contact probes are impractical, and structural inference is indirect. Vesta supports multi-method validation — modeling backed by excitonic EELS (±20 °C for 2D materials), Raman (±10–50 °C), and IR pyrometry (>400 °C) — enabling quantified studies from cryogenic conditions to over 1000 °C.
Closing the Spectroscopy Gap
Electron microscopy provides spatial resolution but limited chemical and optical data. Correlative workflows risk contamination and registration errors. Point spectroscopy at the coincident point gives immediate structure-chemistry-function correlation: identify phases, probe defects, and measure bandgaps without leaving the microscope.
How In-Situ Laser Heating for SEM and TEM with Vesta Compares
Vesta and MEMS eChip Heating
Vesta extends — rather than replaces — MEMS heating solutions. Standard eChips deliver resistive, uniform heating up to ~1200 °C continuous. Vesta adds wavelength-tunable optical delivery that is spatially selective, reaches over 1000 °C with nanosecond pulses, and brings spectroscopy and pulsed laser deposition into the same session. Vesta works with MEMS chips and standard holders.
Vesta and Integrated FIB Laser Systems
Integrated FIB laser systems are built for bulk material removal — millimeter-scale ablation at roughly 15,000× FIB throughput, with fixed wavelengths and blind positioning. Vesta has a different mission: ~10 µm diameter, high-photon-density delivery with sighted alignment, modular UV-to-IR wavelengths, and port-mounting that works on tabletop SEM, full-size SEM, FIB, and TEM rather than dedicated systems only.
Platform Architecture and Specifications
Plug-and-Play Design
- Mounts to existing microscope access ports through a sapphire window, with optics at atmospheric pressure
- No permanent vacuum modifications required
- Programmable nanomanipulator enables laser positioning without breaking vacuum
- Compatible with electrical holders, biasing stages, and environmental cells
Performance
- Sample drift during heating: down to 2.2 nm/min measured in STEM, with no drift correction required
- Focused spot size: ~10 µm
- Vacuum compatibility: up to 10⁻¹⁰ torr
- Laser options: continuous wave and pulsed (ns), multi-wavelength UV to IR
- Control: Python SDK for automated workflows and AI integration
Track Record
Vesta is the product of years of NSF-funded development refined with national laboratories and semiconductor manufacturers. The platform has more than 10 peer-reviewed publications in Advanced Materials Technologies, ACS Photonics, Small, and other journals, and has been integrated on Nion UltraSTEM, high-resolution TEM, full-size SEM, FIB, and tabletop SEM systems. Application work spans 2D materials, plasmonic nanoparticles, thin-film metallurgy, e-beam nanofabrication, and 3D nanoarchitectures.
Why In-Situ Laser Heating for SEM and TEM Matters
Cost Savings
- Extends existing microscopes into multi-purpose fabrication and characterization platforms
- Reduces MEMS chip consumption and eliminates sample transfers between imaging modalities
- Protects sensitive detectors from thermal damage through localized, non-contact heating
- Minimizes microscope downtime — change laser wavelengths without breaking vacuum
- Reduces setup time and errors through direct visual confirmation of laser position on the sample
- Accelerates time-to-insight through in-situ feedback and streamlined workflows
Research Acceleration
For materials science: accelerate phase-diagram exploration through rapid multi-temperature experiments, enable in-situ synthesis-characterization loops for combinatorial discovery, and study dynamic processes — recrystallization, grain growth, dewetting — with atomic-resolution feedback.
For semiconductor and quantum science: explore atomic-scale defect engineering in quantum materials and devices, perform direct fabrication-to-property correlation for photonic and electronic responses, and run scriptable stimuli-and-measurement sequences across regions and samples.
Configure Your System
In-situ laser heating for SEM and TEM through Waviks Vesta can be added to a new or existing full-size SEM, a new or existing TEM or STEM, a FIB or dual-beam system, or to the SNE-Alpha tabletop SEM. The SNE-Alpha is the only desktop instrument on the market that supports the full Vesta capability set. NanoImages quotes each configuration on a per-application basis.
Contact NanoImages to discuss your application and the right Vesta integration for your microscope.