Collaborative Laboratory and User Facility for Electron Microscopy


Nowadays electron microscopy can provide more than just static observations and high resolution characterization of materials. The environmental transmission electron microscopes are specifically designed for 'environmental' in situ studies of dynamic processes, permitting gases to be present in the region of the specimen as well as elevated temperatures. This exciting development enables the in situ dynamic synthesis and reaction of materials in the TEM, allowing us to directly access chemical information, growth kinetics and catalytic processes, for example, using both imaging and spectroscopic techniques at ultra-high resolution. This allows a deep understanding of the mechanisms of reactions and identification of intermediate products at the nanoscale, even down to the atomic level.

CLUE is an infrastructure facility of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Göttingen. The CLUE is operated with the aim of the use of the CLUE associated devices to enable the high-resolution in-situ electron microscopy and conventional electron microscopy. In addition, it supports the development of new electron microscopy methods.

The CLUE fulfils in particular the following tasks:


  • Provision of the CLUE associated equipment for carrying out scientific projects;
  • Assisting with the implementation of practical Bachelor, Master and PhD theses;
  • Support for the acquisition and implementation of externally funded projects;
  • Support for the acquisition and implementation of research contracts;
  • Provision of services to non-university third parties.