2021 ANNUAL REPORT | Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials

Upgraded Capabilities, Deeper Insights Many scientists from BIU and elsewhere depend on the CPM team’s expertise using the Cryo-FIB-SEM; so do clients such as SolarEdge, Microtechmed, the defense industry, HIT and Ariel University. “We have carefully selected and trained a handful of BINA research students to operate this complex system,” says Dr. Fleger. “This gives them a rare opportunity to participate in advanced R&D and to gain specialized experience with today’s most powerful microscope.” “We make it even thinner, ending up with a sample 30-50nm thick. To put this into perspective, it’s like pulling a single sheet of paper out of a very thick book” Prof. Adi Salomon is one of the Cryo-FIB-SEM’s highvolume users. Her lab at BIU’s chemistry department focuses on plasmonic research, or matter-light interactions. Prof. Salomon fabricates nano layers of silver or gold and cuts carefully shaped and positioned grooves into their surface. When the layer is lit, these grooves restrict the electromagnetic field to a small area such that the returned optic signal is enhanced. Prof. Salomon and her team can then investigate the light deflection and reflection revealing the effect of different molecules or differences in molecular bonds on them. Awarded an Israel Science Foundation (ISF) grant, Prof. Salomon is studying the data that the Cryo-FIB-SEM yields to develop ultrasensitive and low-cost optical sensors for low-vision devices, toxin detectors and more. “A significant portion of our work entails the complex preparation of extremely thin samples called TEM lamellas. We use the Cryo-FIB-SEM’s ion beam to carve the sample, and then with a milling technique, we make it even thinner, ending up with a sample 30-50nm thick. To put this into perspective, it’s like pulling a single sheet of paper out of a very thick book,” says Dr. Fleger. The CPM team has produced such ultrathin samples of 2D materials for Prof. Doron Naveh, who prints the human-made 2D materials in his lab at BIU’s Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering. “Testing these thin, high-quality lamellas with a high-resolution TEM revealed new data about the structure and characteristics of 2D materials.” Prof. Naveh’s research, published in Advanced Materials (2021), has contributed valuable knowledge to scientists who are working around the world to develop highly sensitive low-cost optic components and 2D-based devices, such as night vision equipment and more.” Another distinguishing feature of the Cryo-FIB-SEM is that it can work in the cryo mode imaging flashfrozen, or deep-frozen, biological samples (–150°C to –190°C). By using deep-frozen biological samples, we retain the natural state of the tissue and prevent it from collapsing under the electron beam, allowing us to capture the living moment. When the CPM unit makes this feature available as well, scientists here will be able to collect detailed 3D information about organic materials, which will let them probe deeper into the essence of natural matter. BINA as an R&D Accelerator BINA’s Surface Analysis, Nano Fabrication, and CPM units, together or separately, offer both established companies and startups in their initial stages essential added value: a one-stop shop combining advanced analysis equipment and an ensemble of experts with state-of-the-art knowledge. “We’re able to leverage our systems’ complementary capabilities to analyze different aspects of the same material. We then work as a team, comparing the images, extracting the important data and brainstorming together to come up with just the right solution,” says Dr. Fleger. “This intense collaborative work results in an accelerated R&D process.” 28

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