Services for Companies - Case History

In this page we list a few examples of problems that companies asked us to solve and their respective solutions

Problem: presence of contaminants at the end of an industrial production line.
Solution: contaminants were identified by electron microscopy (SEM) and analysed by elemental microanalysis (SEM-EDX); this allowed the company to identify the origin of the contamination.
Problem: inconstant performance of waveguides integrated in microelectronics circuits.
Solution: defected areas were identified at first by means of morphological analysis (SEM), then a comparison study of defected and not-defected waveguides (TEM analysis on FIB lamellas cut and extracted from the circuit) allowed the engineers to find the problem origin.
Problem: morphological defects on the surface of paper packagings, close to hot-stamping-foil metal decorations.
Solution: Surface characterizations (XPS) for chemical information have been performed to identify the composition on the damaged surfaces. Then, depth analysis by means of ion sputtering and outgas tests in UHV have allowed to develop a model for water and metals migration towards the surface, in order to explain the oxidation processes that led to the deterioration of the packaging appearance.

 

Problem: structural characterization was needed for thin oxide layers to be used in photovoltaic application.
Solution: thanks to X-ray diffraction and SEM-EDX analysis it was possible to provide the structural and morphologic information that was requested by the company.
Problem: inconstant performance of a magnetic component in operating conditions.
Solution: the characteristics of the component were analysed as a function of the working temperature, thus identifying the critical issue and an alternative component.
Problem: inconstant performance of an electromagnetic device.
Solution: the static magnetic field produced by the device and operational magnetic characteristics of its magnetic components were measured by different magnetic techniques; the results allowed the company to improve the device design.

 

Problem: opacification and break of quartz lamps used for heating that where installed in specific areas.
Solution: combined electron microscopy (SEM) and microanalysis (EDX) mapping revealed the presence of marine salts on their surface that, in combination with the high temperatures, penetrated into the material and lowered its glass softening temperature.