Tescan announces the launch of Orage™ 2, a next-generation Ga+ FIB-SEM column integrated into the AMBER 2 platform for advanced materials science applications. Designed to accelerate TEM sample preparation, cross-sectioning, and nanoscale characterization, Orage™ 2 combines market-leading low keV FIB resolution down to 500 eV with high beam current performance up to 100 nA.
Image Credit: Tescan
Together, these features enable up to 40 percent faster milling while maintaining the precision required for ultra-thin TEM lamella preparation. When paired with TEM AutoPrep™ Pro automation and the fully integrated Aura™ Gentle Ion Beam for low-energy argon polishing, the system delivers a complete, automated workflow for high-quality, reproducible TEM specimens.
With Orage™ 2, materials science laboratories can increase throughput, reduce operator dependency, and achieve higher confidence in nanoscale analysis.
See More at Low keV. Decide with Confidence.
Final polishing has traditionally been the most delicate and operator-dependent step of TEM sample preparation. At low accelerating voltages, conventional Ga+ FIB systems often struggle with poor image clarity. Operators must interpret faint features and rely heavily on experience to avoid over-milling or damaging the lamella.
Orage™ 2 changes that experience.
With improved FIB resolution down to 500 eV, users gain clear visibility of the finest lamella details during the final thinning steps. This clarity enables precise beam placement and confident polishing of ultra-thin specimens while minimizing amorphous damage. The process becomes more controlled, more repeatable, and far less dependent on expert intuition.
For PhD students preparing their first lamella or experienced microscopists pushing the limits of resolution, improved low keV clarity transforms how the final step feels and performs.
Accelerate Your Workflow by Up to 40 Percent
Materials laboratories are under constant pressure to increase throughput without compromising quality. Whether in academic core facilities, industrial R&D labs, or quality control environments, the demand for faster time to insight continues to grow.
Orage™ 2 delivers optimized beam spot profiles across the full probe current range from 1 pA to 100 nA. The result is up to 40 percent faster trenching and rough milling compared to conventional Ga+ FIB-SEM systems.
Cross-sections are completed sooner. TEM lamellae are ready faster. 3D tomography volumes can be acquired more efficiently.
Higher throughput does not come at the expense of precision. Orage™ 2 uniquely combines fast material removal with high resolution at low keV, allowing laboratories to increase productivity while maintaining the specimen quality required for high-resolution TEM and STEM analysis.
Image Credit: Tescan
From Complex Workflow to Automated Confidence
Modern materials science laboratories are multi-user environments. Lab managers must train new operators, ensure consistent data quality, and minimize errors that lead to repeated work.
With Orage™ 2 integrated into AMBER 2, automation plays a central role.
TEM AutoPrep™ Pro, combined with OptiLift™, enables fully automated lamella preparation, including unattended overnight workflows from multiple sites. AI-assisted recognition of fiducial marks improves reliability, while material-specific templates simplify adaptation to different samples.
Low keV FIB imaging further strengthens automation by enhancing reference recognition and final polishing accuracy. Even less experienced users can achieve reproducible, high-quality results.
For facilities managing dozens or even hundreds of users per year, this translates into substantial time savings and higher instrument availability.
Integrated Final Polishing with Aura™ Gentle Ion Beam
High-quality TEM preparation often requires a final low-energy polishing step using argon ions to reduce amorphous damage and Ga+ contamination.
In conventional workflows, this requires transferring the lamella to a separate broad ion beam device. Each transfer introduces risk: contamination, oxidation, misalignment, or even complete sample loss. Polishing is typically performed without real-time feedback.
Tescan solves this challenge with the fully integrated Aura™ Gentle Ion Beam.
Aura™ enables ultra-fine Ar polishing down to 200 eV directly inside the FIB-SEM chamber. Automated lamella preparation at 2 keV can be seamlessly followed by gentle ion beam polishing within the same workflow, without removing the sample.
Operators maintain real-time visual control over the process. The risk of damage from transfers is eliminated. First-time success rates increase. TEM imaging quality improves.
This integrated approach is a key differentiator of the Tescan ecosystem and reinforces our commitment to delivering not just technology, but complete workflows.
A Platform Built for Advanced Materials Research
Orage™ 2 within AMBER 2 supports a broad spectrum of materials science applications:
- TEM and APT sample preparation
- Nanoprototyping and device fabrication
- Cross-sectioning of complex or heterogeneous materials
- 3D FIB-SEM tomography
- Multimodal analysis combining SEM, EDX, EBSD, ToF-SIMS, and Raman
Tescan uniquely offers high resolution ToF-SIMS, delivering superior mass resolution and sensitivity compared to conventional TOF-SIMS technologies, enabling detection and mapping of light elements such as hydrogen, lithium, and isotopes. For battery research, advanced alloys, and nanostructured materials, this opens new possibilities for chemical insight directly within the FIB-SEM environment.
The platform’s large analytical chamber with 20 ports ensures long-term expandability and integration of advanced detectors and accessories, making AMBER 2 a system that laboratories can grow with rather than outgrow.
Setting a New Standard in Ga+ FIB-SEM
With Orage™ 2, Tescan sets a new standard for speed while maintaining outstanding specimen quality. Combined with full automation and integrated broad ion beam technology, AMBER 2 delivers a complete, high-value solution for modern materials science laboratories.
Tescan is committed to being more than an equipment provider. We are a partner in your workflow, focused on enabling reliable, reproducible, and high-quality nanoscale results.
Discover how Orage™ 2 transforms TEM preparation and materials characterization workflows in our webinar: HERE