TESCAN Mira3 XMH scanning electron microscope
The TESCAN MIRA3 is a high-performance scanning electron microscope system which provides high resolution and low-noise imaging.
The microscope is fitted with fast EBSD and EDX detectors for high resolution, large area materials characterisation.

The instrument is equipped with a full range of detectors for multi-scale characterisation of samples.
- secondary electron detector (SE) sensitive to sample’s topography changes.
- backscattered-electron detector (BSE) which provides imaging that carries information on the sample’s composition.
- energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) allowing chemical characterisation of materials.
- electron backscatter diffraction detector (EBSD) for microstructural-crystallographic characterisation of samples.
Applications
- high resolution microscopy
- grain size analysis
- post corrosion studies
- porosity measurements
- chemical composition (±1 at%)
Technical specification
- high brightness Field Emission Gun (Schottky emitter) for high-resolution/ high current/ low-noise imaging (up to 70nA of beam current)
- resolution up to 1.2nm at 30kV
- Oxford Instruments X-Max 80 EDX detector (can detect elemental composition including Be)
- Oxford Instruments Symmetry 2 EBSD detector (up to 4500 patterns per second acquisition)
- sample holders for Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD)



Materials Research Facility
Available for users working in fusion, fission and other research programmes. We have scientific and operational teams to support experiments and sample preparation.