Symposia
Characterization
A1) Nanoscale Characterisation using Electrons, X-rays, and Neutrons
Chair(s): Lam Yeng Ming (NTU)
Co-Chair(s): Chris Boothroyd (NTU), Michel Bosman (NUS), Qian He (NUS), Rafal Dunin-Borkowski (Jülich Forschungszentrum/RWTH Aachen, Germany), Jiong Zhao (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong China)
Electron and X-ray excitations play a fundamental role in materials and device discovery. This symposium aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the characterization of nanoscale materials to obtain detailed pictures of their chemical, physical and structural properties. In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry which was awarded for high resolution cryo-TEM work on biological materials, this symposium will not be limited to hard matter topics but will also cover bio and soft materials. Besides electron and X-ray techniques using laboratory sources, synchrotron X-ray/neutron based techniques will be outlined in this symposium. We invite contributions in the use of these techniques for the study of inorganic, organic, hybrid and biological materials and devices.
This meeting will cover a comprehensive range of topics relating to electron microscopy and X-ray techniques including but not limited to:
- In-Situ and operando methods in electron and X-ray techniques (stimuli can be in different forms such as heat, electrical biasing, mechanical, optical, etc.)
- Nanoscale characterization under gas and liquid environments
- Nanoscale characterization of energy conversion and storage materials
- Nanoscale characterization of catalysis
- Functional materials at the nanometer length scale
- Study of magnetic materials, including electron holography
- Cryogenic studies of biological and soft materials
- X-ray and electron tomography
- High resolution TEM and STEM
- Spectroscopic characterization inside a TEM
- Neutrons / X-ray synchrotron characterization of materials
- Focused ion beam (FIB) for microanalysis and sample preparation
- Microanalysis methods such as EBSD, EPMA,
- 3D Multimodal Microanalysis
- Ptychography/4D-STEM
A2) Atom Probe Tomography for Nanostructure, Defect, and Failure Analysis
Chair(s): Tan Xipeng (NUS), Yeoh Wai Kang (A*STAR)
Co-Chair(s): Hung-Wei (Homer) Yen (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)
Atom Probe Tomography (APT) has emerged as a transformative tool in materials science, enabling 3D compositional imaging at near-atomic resolution with part-per-million sensitivity. This symposium aims to spotlight the most recent advances and applications of APT in uncovering the nanostructure–property–performance relationship across a wide range of materials systems. The focus will be on using APT to unravel nanoscale features such as chemical short range order, solute clustering, segregation, precipitation, phase transformations, interfacial phenomena, and defect structures, all of which are central to understanding materials behavior under extreme environments, degradation, and failure.
This symposium will bring together researchers and industry practitioners employing APT in conjunction with complementary characterization tools (e.g., TEM, TKD) and computational modeling (e.g., phase-field, DFT, MD) to tackle challenges in microelectronics, metallurgy, energy materials, and additive manufacturing. Special emphasis will be given to correlative studies and technique development, including cryo-APT, site-specific lift-out, in situ approaches, and machine learning-assisted analysis
The session will serve as a dynamic platform for discussing critical insights into materials degradation and failure mechanisms, advancing our understanding of atomistic processes governing reliability and performance. We welcome contributions that cover fundamental studies, novel methodologies, and application-driven research, with the ultimate goal of advancing materials design and failure prevention at the nanoscale.
Topics will include:
- Advanced applications of APT in metallurgy, semiconductors, and energy materials
- Solute segregation, clustering, chemical short range order, and phase transformations
- APT of interfaces, dislocations, grain boundaries, and other defects
- Cryogenic and in situ APT techniques
- Correlative APT-TEM/TKD studies
- Atomistic insights into failure mechanisms and degradation
- Machine learning and data mining in APT analysis
- Multiscale modeling and APT-informed simulations
- Challenges in quantification and specimen preparation
