EMAS 2011: 12th European Workshop on Modern Developments in Microbeam Analysis

Abstract

This volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering contains papers fromthe 12th Workshop of the European Microbeam Analysis Society (EMAS) on Modern Developmentsand Applications in Microbeam Analysis, which took place from the 15–19 May 2011 inthe Angers Congress Centre, Angers, France.The primary aim of this series of workshops is to assess the state-of-the-art and reliability ofmicrobeam analysis techniques. The workshops also provide a forum where students and youngscientists starting out on a career in microbeam analysis can meet and discuss with the establishedexperts. The workshops have a very specific format comprising invited plenary lectures byinternationally recognized experts, poster presentations by the participants and round table discussionson the key topics led by specialists in the field. This workshop was organized in collaboration withGN-MEBA – Groupement National de Microscopie Electronique à Balayage et de microAnalysis,France. The technical programme included the following topics: the limits of EPMA, new techniques,developments and concepts in microanalysis, microanalysis in the SEM, and new and less commonapplications of micro- and nanoanalysis.As at previous workshops there was also a special oral session for young scientists. The bestpresentation by a young scientist was awarded with an invitation to attend the 2012 Microscopy andMicroanalysis meeting at Phoenix, Arizona. The prize went to Pierre Burdet, of the Federal Instituteof Technology of Lausanne (EPFL), for his talk entitled ‘3D EDS microanalysis by FIB-SEM:enhancement of elemental quantification’.The continuing relevance of the EMAS workshops and the high regard in which they are heldinternationally can be seen from the fact that 74 posters from 18 countries were on display at themeeting, and that the participants came from as far away as Japan, Canada and the USA. A selectionof participants with posters were invited to give a short oral presentation of their work in threededicated sessions. The prize for the best poster was an invitation to participate in the 22nd AustralianConference on Microscopy and Microanalysis (ACMM 22) at Perth, Western Australia. The prizewas awarded to G Samardzija of the Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, for the poster entitled:‘EPMA-WDS quantitative compositional analysis of barium titanate ceramics doped with cerium’.This proceedings volume contains the full texts of 5 of the invited plenary lectures and of 23 paperson related topics originating from the posters presented at the workshop. All the papers have beensubjected to peer review by a least two referees. January 2012 Acknowledgements On behalf of the European Microbeam Analysis Society I would like to thank all the invited speakers,session chairs and members of the discussion panels for making the meeting such a great success.Special thanks go to François Brisset and Luc Van't dack who directed the organisation of theworkshop giving freely of their time and talents. As was the case for previous workshops, the EMASboard in corpore was responsible for the scientific programme. The technical exhibition, whichoccupied 130 sq.m of floor space, was outstanding. It was very encouraging to see new instrumentson display, including a FEG electron microprobe as a first worldwide presentation. Moreover, almostall the companies that exhibited provided financial support, either by sponsoring an event or byadvertising.Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of exhibiting companies and sponsors of the workshop: Ametek GmbH, Edax Business UnitGN-MEBA Bruker Nano GmbHJeol (Europe) SAS CamecaL'Oréal, Direction Générale Recherche et Innovation Carl Zeiss NTSNanoMEGAS sprl Commissariat à l'Energie AtomiqueOxford Instruments SAS European Institute for Transuranium Elements (Germany)Probe Software, Inc. ElexienceSAMx FEI CompanyTarget-Messtechnik Fondis Electronic SAThermo Fisher Scientific Gatan (France) Clive T. Walker EMAS President