Thermo Scientific · Desktop SEM Platform

Phenom ParticleX Desktop SEM

One unified SEM-EDS platform. Four specialized application solutions. Automated structural and chemical analysis of particles, inclusions, and powders — up to 10× faster than outsourcing, with results in one working day.

SEM + EDS Integrated <40 s Sample Loading Up to 10× Faster Analysis In-House & Desktop

One Shared Platform. Four Dedicated Solutions.

All Phenom ParticleX variants — Battery, Steel, AM, and TC — are built on the same proven desktop SEM hardware and ParticleX software framework. Each variant is preconfigured with application-specific recipes, classification rules, and reporting standards, so your team reaches trusted results from day one without custom development.

Product Overview

Phenom ParticleX Desktop SEM: A compact, fully integrated scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) for automated particle characterization, elemental mapping, and chemical classification at the microscale.

The Phenom ParticleX combines a high-sensitivity four-segment backscattered electron detector (BSD), a fully embedded Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) for EDX analysis, and an industry-leading 40-second vent/load cycle into a desktop form factor. Analysis that once required outsourcing — and up to 10 working days — is completed in-house within one day. Standardized recipes deliver the highest repeatability in the market, while customizable parameters accommodate the unique demands of each user's material, process, and industry standard.

Platform Features & Capabilities

Automated Particle Analysis

Fully automated scanning across the entire sample stage with configurable thresholds for particle detection, size range, chemistry classification, and stop criteria — no manual interaction required.

Elemental Mapping & Line Scan

One-click elemental distribution mapping with real-time live build-up across up to 10 user-specified elements. Line scan functionality delivers quantified composition profiles across edges, coatings, and cross sections.

Integrated EDX Spectrometry

Fully embedded Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) with auto-peak ID, iterative strip peak deconvolution, and a 2048-channel multi-channel analyzer at 10 eV/ch for high-precision elemental identification from boron to americium.

Standardized Recipes & Customization

Pre-loaded application-specific analysis recipes enable immediate, repeatable results. All parameters — size ranges, chemical classification rules, area of interest, stop criteria — are fully adjustable for your process and materials.

Automated Reporting

Generate standards-compliant reports in DOCX format automatically — including ternary diagrams, histograms, inclusion density calculations, and particle size distributions. Custom report templates for ISO, VDA, and user-defined formats.

Industry-Leading Throughput

Proprietary loading shuttle achieves a vent-to-analysis cycle of under 40 seconds — faster than any comparable desktop SEM system. Multiple sample analysis in a single run makes classification up to 10× faster than outsourcing.

Four Specialized Application Solutions

Battery Materials

ParticleX Battery

Battery cell performance is critically dependent on the chemical purity and particle uniformity of active cathode materials. Even a single metallic contaminant in NCM (nickel–cobalt–manganese) powder can cause catastrophic short-circuit failure. The Phenom ParticleX Battery Desktop SEM combines automated SEM imaging with EDS-based chemical classification to detect, characterize, and sort contaminating particles — rapidly and with the highest repeatability in the market.

The system quantifies the elemental ratios of individual NCM particles and displays the population spread on a Ni–Co–Mn ternary diagram, instantly revealing outliers and batch-to-batch variation. Conductance classification labels each particle class (organic vs. metallic conductive), enabling precise risk assessment of contamination severity — a critical input for battery safety and quality control workflows.

  • Automated detection of metallic contaminants in NCM, NCA, LFP powders
  • Ni–Co–Mn ternary diagram visualization of full particle population
  • Conductance classification: organic vs. conductive metallic particles
  • EDS spot analysis and elemental mapping of cathode active materials
  • Up to 10× faster than outsourced lab analysis — results within one day
Technical Cleanliness

ParticleX TC

As precision components in automotive, hydraulic, and electronic systems shrink in tolerance, sub-micron particulate contamination has become a leading cause of field failure. Light microscopy alone cannot chemically classify particles — making it impossible to distinguish harmful metallic wear debris from benign process residue. The Phenom ParticleX TC Desktop SEM closes this gap by coupling automated feature analysis (AFA) with full EDS chemical typing.

Industry-standard 47 mm membrane filters are analyzed automatically in compliance with VDA 19 and ISO 16232 / ISO 4407 cleanliness standards. Each detected particle is classified by chemistry (metals, silicates, carbonates, coatings), size class, and morphology. The system generates standards-compliant reports immediately after analysis, and every individual particle can be revisited manually for deeper investigation — delivering the traceability required for automotive PPAP and supplier qualification.

  • Automated Feature Analysis (AFA) on 47 mm membrane filters
  • VDA 19 and ISO 16232 / ISO 4407 compliant reporting — out of the box
  • Chemical classification: metals, silicates, organics, coatings, and more
  • Particle size, shape, and morphology measurement per ISO/VDA criteria
  • Manual particle revisit for root-cause and supplier qualification
Steel Manufacturing

ParticleX Steel

Non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) — oxides, sulfides, alumina clusters, silicates, and spinels — form during steel solidification and are the primary driver of fatigue failure, reduced machinability, and surface defect in high-value steel products. Controlling NMI population, chemistry, and size distribution is the cornerstone of modern clean steel production. The Phenom ParticleX Steel Desktop SEM delivers automated SEM-EDS inclusion analysis directly in your metallurgical laboratory.

Pre-loaded recipes for Al-killed, Si-killed, and Ca-treated steels get you started immediately. Each individual inclusion is characterized by morphology (Dmax, aspect ratio, area) and chemistry (classified on MgO–CaO–Al₂O₃ ternary diagrams). Customizable inclusion density calculations, histogram plots, and ternary diagrams provide the process insight needed to optimize slag chemistry, deoxidation practice, and ladle treatment — closing the feedback loop from analysis to steelmaking decision.

  • Automated NMI detection, sizing, and chemistry on polished cross sections
  • Pre-loaded recipes: Al-killed, Si-killed, Ca-treated steels
  • Inclusion classification: alumina, silicate, sulfide, spinel, CaS, MnS
  • MgO–CaO–Al₂O₃ ternary diagrams for steel cleanliness visualization
  • Particle analysis of metal powders for the additive / PM industry
Additive Manufacturing

ParticleX AM

Powder quality is the most critical variable in powder-bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing. Powder degradation — caused by moisture uptake, oxidation, satellite formation, or foreign particle contamination from previous print cycles — directly translates to porosity, surface roughness, and mechanical property scatter in finished parts. The Phenom ParticleX AM Desktop SEM provides the only desktop SEM solution for comprehensive, automated powder qualification.

The system simultaneously measures the three most critical powder quality indicators: particle size distribution (PSD), particle morphology (sphericity, aspect ratio, roughness, feret diameter), and chemical identity via EDS — enabling differentiation between spherical particles, satellite-decorated particles, deformed agglomerates, and foreign-phase inclusions. PSD can be plotted as volume-based (DAVE) or number-based histograms with d10, d50, and d90 percentile markers, directly aligning with powder specification sheets.

  • Particle Size Distribution (PSD): d10, d50, d90 — volume- or number-based
  • Morphology: aspect ratio, sphericity, roughness, feret diameter, perimeter
  • EDS chemical typing per individual particle — identify foreign-phase contaminants
  • Automated differentiation: spherical, satellite-decorated, deformed, agglomerated
  • Supports Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel, stainless steel, aluminum, and other AM alloys

Technology & Key Benefits

Backscattered Electron Detection (BSD)
Four-Segment BSD: The standard detector is a four-segment backscattered electron detector providing both compositional contrast  and topographical imaging in a single pass, enabling reliable discrimination of phases and particle types without secondary detector switching. An Everhart–Thornley secondary electron detector (SED) adds high-resolution surface topography imaging for fiber, microstructure, and morphology studies.
Thermionic Electron Source (CeB₆)
Long-Lifetime CeB₆ Source: The cerium hexaboride (CeB₆) thermionic emitter delivers high brightness and a long operational lifetime. Critical for the high-throughput, routine analysis environment where the ParticleX operates. Multiple selectable beam currents and acceleration voltages (4.8–20.5 kV) allow optimization for each sample type and analytical requirement.
Silicon Drift Detector EDX (SDD)
LN₂-Free, Fully Embedded SDD: The 25 mm² thermoelectrically cooled Silicon Drift Detector requires no liquid nitrogen, reducing operational cost and complexity. With a maximum input count rate of 300,000 cps and energy resolution of Mn Kα ≤132 eV, it supports rapid elemental identification across the full range from boron to americium via an ultra-thin Si₃N₄ X-ray window. Auto-peak ID and iterative strip peak deconvolution ensure reliable quantification even in complex multi-element matrices.
ParticleX Software & ProSuite Framework
Purpose-Built Analysis Software: The ParticleX software, pre-installed with a full license and backed by the ProSuite Framework, provides integrated column and stage control, automated feature analysis (AFA), elemental mapping, line scan, and standards-compliant reporting — all within a single intuitive interface. Remote UI and automated image mapping capabilities allow operation and monitoring without being physically at the instrument, supporting multi-user laboratory environments and remote process control.

System Specifications

Category Technical Parameter Specification Detail
Imaging Electron Optical Magnification 80–200,000× (digital zoom max. 12×)
Illumination Electron Source Long-lifetime CeB₆ thermionic; multiple beam currents
Voltage Acceleration Voltage Range 4.8–20.5 kV (advanced mode); default: 5, 10, 15 kV
EDX Detector Type & Active Area Silicon Drift Detector (SDD), 25 mm², thermoelectrically cooled (LN₂-free)
Energy Resolution & Count Rate Mn Kα ≤132 eV; max. input 300,000 cps; 2048 channels at 10 eV/ch
Sample Stage Stage & Sample Capacity Computer-controlled motorized X/Y; max. 100 × 100 mm; scan area 50 × 50 mm (100 × 100 mm optional)
Throughput Sample Loading Time Light optical <5 s; electron optical <40 s
Environment Ambient Requirements 15–30 °C; humidity <80% RH; AC 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, 300 W max.
Workstation Computing Platform HP Tower PC; ParticleX + ProSuite pre-installed