Reveal how gas composition and temperature influence surface reactions using precise gas delivery, closed-loop MEMS heating above 1000 °C, and in-situ SEM imaging
Controlled Gas Environment for In-Situ SEM
The SEM Gas Heating Sample Holder enables in-situ SEM imaging of dynamic gas–solid reactions under controlled environmental conditions. A sealed environmental cell with electron-transparent silicon nitride (SiN) windows isolates the reactive gas environment from the microscope vacuum while supporting gas flow up to 2 bar and closed-loop MEMS heating above 1000 °C. A precision-engineered, screw-free loading and sealing mechanism enables fast, reproducible sample loading and automatic window alignment. Optimized holder geometry and a low thermal mass MEMS microheater provide stable imaging during high-temperature experiments. The platform supports compatible microfabricated chips for MEMS heating and electrical biasing, with optional multi-channel gas delivery for controlled gas mixing and advanced in-situ SEM studies.
Built for Advanced Gas-Phase SEM
Designed for researchers in materials science, chemistry, catalysis, energy storage, environmental science, and nanotechnology, the platform enables in-situ investigation of heterogeneous catalyst performance, oxidation and corrosion, thin-film growth and degradation, nanoparticle evolution, temperature-dependent surface reactions, redox processes, and gas–solid interfacial transformations under controlled gaseous environments.
Reveal the Mechanisms Behind Gas–Solid Reactions
Gas–solid reactions often involve dynamic surface transformations that determine material performance but are difficult to capture with conventional techniques. The holder is optimized for versatility in SEM environments with multiple unique detectors including scattered (BSE and SE) and transmission (STEM) oriented around the sample stage inside of an evacuated chamber. By combining controlled gas composition and pressure with closed-loop MEMS heating and optional electrical biasing, the holder allows correlation of surface morphology, chemical composition, and applied stimuli to reveal the reaction pathways and mechanisms governing material performance, stability, and degradation.
Hummingbird Advantages:
- Achieve fast, reproducible environmental-cell assembly with a screw-free loading mechanism and self-aligning SiN windows.
- Perform experiments with gas flow up to 2 bar and a dedicated purge line for rapid contamination-free experimental gas switching.
- Observe high-temperature gas-phase material transformations with closed-loop MEMS heating above 1000 °C and on-chip temperature sensing.
- Preserve analytical performance with full EDS compatibility.
- Integrates seamlessly with your SEM using custom-fitted stage hardware and user-replaceable gas tubing for easy maintenance.
- Choose from a broad range of microfabricated chips with multiple heater configurations, window dimensions, and electrode materials to match your experiment.
- Compatible with TEM, SEM, and X-ray microscopy workflows using cross-platform microfabricated chips.
- Support diverse applications including catalysis, corrosion, nanoparticle dynamics, thin-film growth, redox reactions, and high-temperature materials research.
Available For:
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How it Works
The SEM Gas Heating Sample Holder integrates a sealed environmental cell, metal & PEEKsil gas delivery tubing, multifunctional microfabricated chips, electrical biasing connections, and dedicated control hardware into a versatile platform for in-situ gas-phase SEM experiments. The environmental cell is formed by two microfabricated silicon chips with electron-transparent silicon nitride (SiN) windows. A sample is loaded onto one of the chips before the two chips are sealed together, creating a controlled gas environment around the specimen that remains isolated from the microscope vacuum.
A precision-engineered, screw-free loading and sealing mechanism enables fast, reproducible sample loading and automatic alignment of the SiN windows. Controlled gas flow is delivered through the sealed environmental cell at pressures up to 2 bar using Hummingbird Scientific's gas delivery systems, with a dedicated purge line for rapid contamination-free experimental gas switching. Optimized holder geometry and a low thermal mass MEMS microheater provide stable imaging during high-temperature experiments with closed-loop heating above 1000 °C and integrated 4-point on-chip temperature sensing.
Compatible microfabricated chips for MEMS heating and electrical biasing enable thermal and electrical stimuli to be applied during controlled gas-phase experiments, allowing researchers to observe gas-induced surface transformations, oxidation, corrosion, catalyst activation, phase transformations, and degradation processes in real time under realistic reaction environments.
Key Features and Capabilities
Achieve reproducible gas-cell assembly with self-aligning windows and a screw-free sealing design
Perform temperature-controlled gas-phase SEM with homogeneous MEMS heating above 1000 °C, 4-point on-chip temperature sensing, and near-drift-free imaging
Control gas pressure from high vacuum to 2 bar using one experimental gas and a dedicated purge line for reliable, repeatable gas-phase SEM experiments
Perform correlative gas-phase microscopy across TEM, SEM, and synchrotron X-ray platforms
Perform correlative spectroscopy and microscopy for detailed in-situ elemental analysis
Protect your SEM during gas-cell experiments and streamline experimental workflows with rapid high-vacuum seal checking
Keep experiments moving with in-stock gas-cell SEM chips designed for gas flow, heating, sample biasing, and multimodal microscopy workflows
Built for Diverse Research Applications
Software
Spend less time managing equipment and more time generating results. Hummingbird Connect integrates with microscope and laboratory software platforms to simplify experiment setup, streamline workflows, and keep your data organized from acquisition through analysis.
To help you get the most from your gas-cell holder, Hummingbird Control Software provides intuitive and precise control of closed loop gas heating. Together, these software solutions enable faster setup, improved reproducibility, and more efficient gas-phase SEM experiments.
Built on Engineering Excellence
Hummingbird Scientific designs, machines, assembles, tests, and services its products in-house. Our integrated engineering, machining, microfabrication, software development, and applications teams enable rapid prototyping and iteration, custom modifications, and direct technical support throughout the life of the instrument. This vertically integrated approach allows researchers to adapt experimental platforms to unique scientific requirements while maintaining the performance and reliability required for advanced in-situ microscopy experiments.
The SEM Gas Heating Sample Holder is a direct result of these capabilities, integrating controlled gas delivery, MEMS heating, and experimental workflows into a single platform for reproducible in-situ gas-phase SEM experiments.
Need something unique? Our engineers can customize existing products or develop entirely new solutions to support specialized experiments and emerging research challenges.
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