FIB/SEM Image Processing and Quantification

Avizo Fire data visualization and analysis software addresses the full scope of Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) 2D/3D imaging applications, such as electronics and semiconductors failure analysis, nanomanufacturing, materials characterization, or rock and geomaterials properties analysis.
FIB/SEM image analysis steps may include 2D alignment of slices, shadow correction, image filtering, high-throughput feature identification and segmentation, feature measurements for statistical analysis, geometric model reconstruction, characterization and numerical simulation.

Most images are extracted from the Tin Whisker and Hillock Case Study [1]

3D image reconstruction

As raw image stack is not directly interpretable in 3D, specific reconstruction is required for FIB/SEM, including:

  • Multi-functional Alignment
  • Foreshortening correction
  • Shear/drift correction
  • Shadowing correction

3D data exploration

  • High-end interactive 3D navigation
  • Direct volume rendering with real-time color/opacity mapping
  • Orthogonal, oblique, cylindrical, and curved slicing
  • Contouring and iso-surface extraction
  • Interactive measurement data probing tools
  • Accelerated large data management

Image processing and segmentation, feature extraction

Avizo Fire provides a wide range of tools to identify, separate, and analyze multiple phases, grains, porosities or interfaces:

  • Advanced image filtering
  • Thresholding and auto-segmentation, object separation, automatic labeling
  • Region growing, snakes, interpolation, wrapping, smoothing
  • Advanced mathematical morphology operators, including watershed, basins, multi-phase segmentation, phase interfaces, porosities
  • Interactive segmentation editor with multi-function toolbox
  • Medial axis skeletonization
  • Phases boundaries extraction

Data registration and fusion

  • Multiple data channels can be combined for enhanced segmentation or compositional analysis e.g. BSE, EDX/EDS, EBSD, x-ray spectroscopy, etc.
  • Multiple modalities and scales can be combined for correlative analysis e.g. micro-CT, nano-CT, AFM, etc.
  • Experimental images and simulation results can be combined
  • Registration of images or geometric data

Advanced statistical analyses and numerical characterization

  • Over 70 built-in measurements, incl. particle count, volumes, areas, perimeters, aspect ratios, orientations, etc.
  • Morphometric measures such as fractal roughness, degree of anisotropy, propagation
  • User-defined measures
  • Results viewer with spreadsheet tool and charting with export to .CSV
  • Automatic individual feature measurements, 3D localization, and spreadsheet selection, automated statistics, distributions graphs
  • Feature filtering using any measurement criterion
  • Advanced pre-/post-processing tools for numerical simulation of physical properties, whether mesh-based FEA/CFD solvers, network simulations, direct image-based simulations, Lattice Boltzmann solvers, etc.

 

Extensible workflows

Easily integrate Avizo in your environment and workflow:

  • MATLAB® bridge: live bidirectional communication between Avizo workspace and MATLAB compute engine
  • Flexible workflow, automation, TCL scripting for interactive or batch execution of routine tasks
  • Customize Avizo by expanding it using the Xpand extension

Presentation, sharing and reporting

  • Unique high quality visualization
  • Integrate images, geometric models, measurements, and simulations
  • Markup with textual annotations, legends, histograms, and 2D plots
  • Advanced animation creation
  • Export spreadsheets, 3D models, images, and movies
  • Support for advanced presentation and collaborative environments (immersive theaters, VR systems, etc.) with the XScreen extension

 


[1] Marsh M, Williams M, Moon K-W, and Boettinger W. "Image Processing and Quantification in FIB Reconstructions. Tin Whisker and Hillock Case Study". Microscopy and Microanalysis. 2010. 16 (S2), 1832-1833.