Reviewed by Lexie CornerApr 7 2025
The University of Oxford’s Department of Materials has introduced a custom-built £3 million Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), marking a significant advancement in microscopy.
The JEOL GrandARM300F will support advanced research across various departments and divisions within the University, while also contributing to the training of future microscopists.
The official launch of the microscope coincided with the 100th birthday celebrations of Professor Peter Hirsch, a renowned materials scientist at the University.
The GrandARM300F Transmission Electron Microscope. Image Credit: Caroline Wood
Housed in the David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy, the 3.5-meter-high JEOL GrandARM300F microscope will enhance the facility’s ability to provide high-resolution imaging of samples. Using electron beams accelerated up to 300 kV, the microscope can magnify samples up to 50 million times, enabling the visualization of individual atoms.
The microscope was officially unveiled by Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey on March 17, 2025, during an event celebrating the 100th birthday of Sir Peter Hirsch, Emeritus Professor of Metallurgy and former Head of Oxford’s Department of Materials (1966–1992).
A notable feature of the GrandARM300F is its versatility, allowing rapid switching between different modes, including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), and X-ray spectroscopy. This capability enables the real-time capture of various types of information from the same sample.
Additionally, the GrandARM300F is designed for analyzing beam-sensitive samples that are prone to degradation. It includes a cryogenic mode that cools samples to the temperature of liquid nitrogen (around -190 °C) and precise electron beam control, which can reduce the beam’s energy to as low as 60 kV.
The new microscope is designed to enable users to quickly switch between modes and techniques. This provides multi-modal datasets, elevating the characterization of materials to new levels. Furthermore, the microscope is optimized for low-dose and low-voltage studies, allowing us to analyze sensitive samples which would otherwise be damaged by the electron beam.
Dr. Neil Young, Senior Electron Microscope Facility Manager, David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy
The GrandARM300F will facilitate University research in several key strategic areas, including:
- Energy materials for the Net Zero transition
- Disease mechanisms in biological tissues
- Drug delivery systems, for instance, in chemotherapy
- Semiconductor research
- Carbon capture
- Elemental analysis
- Polymer research and metal-organic frameworks
Besides high-end research, this new microscope will also play a vital role in teaching and training the microscopists of the future. There are few other places in the world where students have the opportunity to operate a TEM microscope of this caliber themselves, giving an immensely valuable learning experience.
Dr. Gerardo Martinez, Support Scientist, Transmission Electron Microscopy, David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy
Like other instruments at the David Cockayne Centre, the GrandARM300F is accessible to researchers outside of the University, further supporting the Centre's collaborative research efforts.
This new addition strengthens the Department’s established reputation in materials research, which includes advanced imaging techniques. It was Professor Sir Peter Hirsch who initiated the acquisition of the Department’s first JEOL electron microscope 50 years ago. Sir Peter Hirsch is recognized for his pioneering work in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and its application to materials science, particularly in the study of metals and alloys.
Sir Peter Hirsch’s team developed the theory of electron diffraction contrast imaging, a method for observing defects introduced during materials processing. This technique provides key insights into mechanical properties and is crucial for the development of materials such as semiconductors, radiation-resistant alloys, and high-temperature alloys used in jet engines. Professor Hirsch was knighted in 1975 and served as the founding Chairman of Isis Innovation, the University of Oxford’s technology transfer company, from 1988 to 1996.