Emerging Plasma FIB-SEM Techniques Advancing Battery Innovation

In recent years, focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) has been widely adopted in battery research, from interfacial analysis via 2D cross-sectioning to 3D tomography for quantitative characterization and modeling. Traditional gallium (Ga) FIB-SEM is an effective tool for Li-ion battery research, but its capabilities are limited when evaluating certain advanced battery systems. For example, novel batteries may need large-volume analysis that is impractical for Ga-FIB-SEM. This article introduces an emerging plasma FIB-SEM (PFIB-SEM) technology and describes how it is facilitating the investigation of new battery technology.