CENEM Mission & Network

The Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) is a facility featuring cutting-edge instrumentation, techniques and expertise required for microscopic and analytical characterization of materials and devices down to the atomic scale. CENEM focuses on several complementary analysis techniques, which closely work together: Electron Microscopy, X-ray Microscopy, Cryo-TEM, Scattering Methods, Scanning Probes and Atom Probe Microscopy. With the combination of these methods new materials, particles, structures and devices are characterized not only microscopically and analytically on all length scales even down to the atomic scale but also by various in situ investigations and 3D methods. The knowledge gained through the versatile characterization methods is then used to further develop and improve materials and devices.

CENEM was established in 2010 to provide a forefront research center for the versatile characterization of materials and devices with state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise and to intensify the interdisciplinary research. The big CENEM network represents the strong collaborations within the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg as well as the collaboration with other universities, dedicated research institutes and industry.

The support of the core facility CENEM by the German Science Foundation (DFG) and the Cluster of Excellence EXC 315 “Engineering of Advanced Materials” is gratefully acknowledged.

Mission

“Only through collaboration can science meet the demands of the future!”

Materials science plays the key role in tackling the big challenges of modern society. Energy generation, transportation and even medical devices rely on new materials with outstanding properties to be discovered. In order to meet this demand, scientists need access to advanced techniqes and instruments helping them to understand material behavior even at the atomic scale. Techniques such as electron microscopy or x-ray scattering are very powerful, but buying and maintaining the corresponding instruments can be very expensive. Additionally without the proper experience, making accurate measurements with these techniques is challenging. In order to overcome this challenge scientists need to collaborate and share their expertise and facilities. The Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy aims to be a platform enabling this exchange, focussing the efforts of the scientific community. The FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg recognizes the importance of this endeavor and broadly supports CENEM. Additionally CENEM is also a core element of the cluster of excellence “Engineering of Advanced Materials”.

CENEM hosts a large variety of instruments in the fields of electron microscopyscattering methods and scanning probesthat can be easily accessed by researchers through becoming users. Through workshops such as the TEM school or the x-ray summer school knowledge is transferred and exchanged.

Brief history of CENEM

CENEM Network

Being a central institute CENEM is very keen on closely collaborating with many partners across different fields. Together with these partners CENEM forms a Network that is intent on sharing knowledge and expertise to tackle even the most complex questions of modern-day science.
CENEM collaborates with many chairs at the FAU and other universities as well as dedicated research institutes. A graphical representation of the network with links to all the partners can be seen below.