Helios 5 Laser FIB-SEM Features

Expanded DualBeam capabilities

The Thermo Scientific Helios Laser System expands DualBeam capabilities by introducing femtosecond laser ablation for extremely high-volume, high-speed material removal. When combined with FIB and SEM, the result is a true workflow: fast, flexible, and precise. You can now tackle samples and applications previously inaccessible due to size or time constraints.

Femtosecond laser for ultrafast, large-volume material removal

The femtosecond laser achieves up to 15,000× faster removal rates compared to FIB alone. This makes it possible to expose millimeter-scale structures in minutes, drastically reducing preparation time for large samples such as advanced semiconductor packages, metal parts, or battery electrodes.

Integrated architecture with coincident laser, FIB, and SEM

Unlike external laser ablation solutions, the Helios Laser System is fully integrated into the DualBeam chamber. All three beams (laser, FIB, and SEM) converge at a single coincident point, ensuring accurate targeting and seamless workflow transitions between bulk ablation, fine FIB milling, and high-resolution imaging. Additionally, this configuration enables 3D tomography at scales not accessible by conventional FIB.

Bulk laser ablation with nanometer-precision PFIB polishing

The laser quickly clears bulk material, while the PFIB (Xe, Ar, or other ions) performs nanometer-precision polishing and site-specific preparation. This combination delivers both speed and accuracy, enabling researchers to characterize deeply buried structures without sacrificing fine detail.

Laser-ablated surfaces ready for SEM, EBSD, and EDS analysis

Laser-ablated surfaces are typically clean enough for direct SEM imaging, EBSD analysis, or EDS mapping. This minimizes rework, avoids contamination, and ensures smooth transition from coarse to fine-scale analysis within the same session.

Laser option available across Helios 5, Hydra, and PFIB DualBeam platforms

The laser option can be configured on Helios 5, Helios Hydra, and Helios PFIB, allowing laboratories to tailor capabilities to their material set, throughput needs, and research priorities.

Accelerated cross-sectioning and 3D Tomography workflows

By reducing cross-sectioning from hours to minutes, the Laser Option accelerates workflows such as failure analysis, large-volume tomography, and advanced materials research. This allows labs to analyze wider range of samples, faster, and reach insights sooner, which is critical in competitive and time-sensitive fields.