Unity BEX Indicator- Making imaging elementary

Oxford Instruments introduces Unity, a new detector for a revolutionary new imaging technique in the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Unity is the world’s first Backscattered Electron and X-ray (BEX) Imaging detector. It seamlessly combines backscattered electron and X-ray signals to deliver rapid, high-definition colour images embedded with elemental data as you navigate around your sample.

Based on a revolutionary design, which includes both backscattered electron and X-ray sensors within the same sensor package, Unity is located directly beneath the pole piece and has been engineered to maximise signal collection, ensuring it can be used at normal imaging speed and operating conditions, making imaging elementary.

The high-speed BEX data collection of Unity makes it easier than ever before to image and analyse an entire sample in minutes, changing the way SEM is used.

Why Unity?

The World’s first

The Unity detector obtains its speed and power from its unique design, combining two types of sensors within one detector head, located under the microscope pole-piece.

This was recently recognised, as the detector was named one of the top microscopy innovations of 2024 by the Microscopy Today Innovation Awards. Learn more about the award here.

Dual sensors

As with traditional imaging detectors, Unity includes backscattered electron (BSE) sensors, which provide information about the atomic number variation in the sample. In contrast to typical imaging detectors, the X-ray sensors collect characteristic X-ray signals that convey elemental data and allow Unity to rapidly generate a colour image. The signals from both sensor types are then intelligently layered to deliver a meaningful sample image, which is easy to interpret.

By delivering these images instantly, much of the uncertainty and guesswork is removed from the sample analysis, allowing microscopists to navigate their sample with confidence and markedly improving the analysis workflow.

Designed for daily imaging

As well as operating at low beam currents, the Unity BEX imaging system delivers X-ray coloured electron images across a wide range of operating conditions, allowing you to use it in the same way you would a traditional imaging detector:

• ✔️ Flexible working distance – The novel operating position for the X-ray sensors means consistent chemical data can be acquired across a wide range of Working Distances (WD).
• ✔️ Topography is no problem – The two Unity X-ray sensors provide data from difficult sample topography, such as deep troughs, which would normally result in no signal due to shadowing. In addition, the two BSE sensors can be configured to topography mode, allowing the resulting images to emphasise sample topography instead of sample atomic variation whenever needed.
• ✔️ Wide field of view – The Unity sensor head is designed with a large aperture diameter, which allows the microscopist to take full advantage of wide field modes, such as fish-eye, helping deliver whole sample analysis at the macro level as well as high resolution imaging.
• ✔️ Variable pressure mode – Unity is designed to work in variable pressure mode, enabling BEX imaging of non-conductive samples.
• ✔️ High-performance BSE sensors – Unlike conventional BSE detectors, Unity BSE sensors are custom-shaped to maximise signal collection and Peltier cooled for enhanced sensitivity, resulting in a high-performance BSE detector.

Results you can rely on

Unity builds on the technology and expertise developed over decades of creating best-in-class X-ray detectors. Integrated into our AZtec software platform, the Unity detector is supported by our Tru-Q technology, high-throughput X4 electronics and AZtec Live Chemical Imaging, ensuring the sample imaging is not only instant but truly accurate.

Operating position

While BSE imaging detectors are normally situated beneath the pole piece, X-ray detection is typically only done with EDS detectors positioned a greater distance from the sample and at a lower angle of elevation. Locating the Unity detector head beneath the pole piece, the X-ray sensors benefit from a very large collection angle, delivering high signal at the same modest beam currents and dwell times used for BSE imaging.

Effortless Navigation -From instinct to insight

Until now, analysing a sample in an electron microscope has relied a lot on instinct. Typical sample analysis begins with a greyscale image from a secondary or backscattered electron detector, moving around the sample, trying to assess where the most fruitful areas for in-depth analysis are going to be found.

Acquisition settings are then adjusted to optimise conditions for EDS analysis, and only with these results is it possible to determine whether our instinct was correct. This process may be repeated many times before any meaningful results are produced, and even more to obtain a complete understanding of the sample.

Unity removes the guesswork by providing images which are immediately rich in valuable topographic and elemental detail.

Rapid effortless navigation

Large areas of the sample surface can now be navigated and scanned for features of interest. As you move around, you see full colour images showing the chemical elements that make up your sample, live.

Because this detail is immediately visible, some investigations can be completed in just minutes, while others can swiftly move onto examining further features or switch seamlessly to another technique such as EDS, WDS or EBSD for more detailed analysis.

The speed of navigation provided by the BEX technique enables Unity to revolutionise the normal microscopy workflow so fundamentally. This is why, in tests, Unity was shown to boost microscope productivity up to 100 times.

Cartography

Unity imaging also enables accurate, high-definition chemical mapping of the entire sample. What previously might have taken hours and possibly required an overnight run can now be achieved in minutes.