Add-on Tools · RT-LATHE

Nanolathe (RT-LATHE)

A stand-alone rotational axis for true FIB lathe milling and tomography — spin a region of interest concentrically under the beam.

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Compatible
The nanolathe — a machined aluminium rotational-axis unit with a vertical collet at the top holding a fine needle sample upright.
10⁻⁷ radRotational resolution
< 500 nmCircular runout
360°Unlimited rotation
45 gWeight

A linear drive riding on a rotation motor#

Milling a nano-pillar, or rotating a sample on axis for x-ray analysis, both demand the same thing: a well-defined axis running straight through the region of interest. The nanolathe gets there with a linear drive stacked on top of a rotation motor. Instead of hunting for an axis that happens to pass through the feature, you use the linear stage to walk the region of interest onto the axis of rotation first — then the whole sample turns concentrically around it.

10⁻⁷ rad a step, 500 nm of runout#

Once centred, rotation is continuous and unlimited at up to 2 rev/min, stepping down to 10⁻⁷ rad with circular runout held below 500 nm — tight enough that a feature stays put under the beam through a full turn. That combination is what makes true FIB lathe milling and tomography practical rather than approximate. The housing itself is compact — 30 × 30 × 40 mm, 45 g in stainless steel and aluminium — and mounts vertically on the MM3A-EM with no rebuild of an existing system. A version with encoded rotation is also available for applications that need positional feedback.

Up close

Gallery

  • The nanolathe mounted in-chamber on an MM3A-EM rail, showing the linear-drive spring above the rotation motor and the gold circuit boards feeding it.
    In-chamber mount — linear drive stacked directly on the rotation motor.
  • The nanolathe's collet and pin mounted on top of a much larger rotation stage, dwarfed by the disc beneath it.
    The 30 × 30 × 40 mm housing mounted on a larger rotation stage.
  • A gloved hand adjusting the nanolathe's collet and fine pin, showing the unit is small enough to hold and align by hand.
    At 45 g, small enough to seat and align by hand.
Specifications

Technical data

Dimensions

Length
30 mm
Width
30 mm
Height
40 mm
Weight
45 g

Motion

Rotational travel
360°, unlimited
Speed
Up to 2 rev/min
Rotational resolution
10⁻⁷ rad
Circular runout
< 500 nm
Linear range
± 1 mm

Environment

Temperature range
273 K – 353 K
Lowest pressure
10⁻⁷ mbar

Construction

Material
Stainless steel, aluminium
On film

See it run

Nanolathe animation
Nanolathe concentricity and tilt
Sharpening tips with the nanolathe
Concentric rotation made visible using frame integration
Sharpening a copper post
Applications

What it’s used for

SEM image of a sharp manipulator probe lifting a thin lamella away from a trench during in-situ lift-out.Materials Science

TEM Sample Preparation

Cut out and lift microscopic, electron-transparent lamellae for transmission electron microscopy, faster, more accurately and more reliably.

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Get in touch

Talk to an application engineer

Tell us your sample and your microscope — we’ll walk you through the workflow and route you to the right regional team.

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