The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has presented its new Thermo Scientific™ SPECTRA 200 scanning transmission electron microscope (TEM/STEM). This infrastructure, located at the Leganés campus and valued at over 2 million euros, stands at the forefront of microscopy in the region and is one of the most advanced in Spain, offering unique atomic resolution capabilities for scientific research and industrial technology transfer.
The presentation ceremony, held today at the Hall of Degrees (Salón de Grados) of the Leganés campus, featured a speech by the UC3M Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer, Luis Enrique García Muñoz, who highlighted the strategic importance of this investment for Madrid's R&D ecosystem. "With the implementation of this equipment, UC3M positions itself as a benchmark in advanced materials characterization, providing our research staff and local companies with a tool of exceptional precision," the Vice-Rector noted.
The new microscope is integrated into the Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LABMET), which is part of the University's Research Support Center (CAI). This organizational structure ensures that the equipment not only provides service to UC3M departments but is also accessible to the entire scientific community and the business sector requiring highly complex materials characterization services.
This equipment stands out for its ability to analyze the structure and chemical composition of materials with atomic-scale resolution, which is critical for the development of new technologies in biomedicine, microelectronics, nanomaterials, semiconductors, and quantum technologies, among others.
"This is the first SPECTRA 200 microscope installed in Spain by Thermo Fisher Scientific, a U.S. multinational specialized in biotechnology," indicates Beatriz Galiana, Deputy Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer at UC3M and head of the CAI. In fact, during the presentation event, Dr. Reza Zamani, an expert from the company, conducted a technical demonstration of the potential of the new SPECTRA 200.
A key resource for science and industry
The scientific managers of LABMET, Beatriz Galiana and Elisa García-Tabarés, underlined the versatility of the new facility: "The SPECTRA 200 allows for the study of materials in a highly versatile advanced characterization environment. This technology is the necessary bridge to move from theoretical research to practical application in next-generation materials."
With this addition, UC3M's LABMET reinforces its mission to offer research support services with the highest quality standards. The presentation day also served to show research staff the access protocols for the equipment and the various analysis methodologies that can be carried out, consolidating the University as a hub for attracting talent and high-tech intensity projects in the Community of Madrid.
This infrastructure was created by the UC3M Physics Department and has received funding from the Program for the Universalization of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion – R&D 6G UNICO – 2023 Call through the project "Probe-corrected TEM/STEM electron microscope with segmented STEM module and EDS system for the structural and compositional characterization of materials and devices for 5G+" with reference TSI-064100-2023-0031 from the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.
More information:
Technical Unit: Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LABMET).
Location: Research Support Center (CAI), Leganés Campus.
Center Website: https://labmet.uc3m.es/