Characterization

The MST-6 Characterization Team serves as the Los Alamos center of expertise for microstructural analysis of materials that do not contain plutonium. The team provides outstanding customer support and service by providing best-in-class microscopy techniques, capability, analysis, and documentation. In addition to microscopy sample preparation, the team provides microstructure characterization using optical and electron microscopy. It oversees the central electron microscopy capability at the Laboratory, which includes three transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and five scanning electron microscopes (SEM). Capabilities include, but are not limited to, focused ion beam (FIB), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The team supports a wide variety of programs that have a focus varying from fundamental science to weapons production.

TEM Micrograph of a CuBe alloy