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Microplasmas can be used for a wide range of technological applications and to improve the understanding of fundamental physics. Scanning electron microscopy, on the other hand, provides insights into the sample morphology and chemistry of materials from the mm‐ down to the nm‐scale. Combining both would provide direct insight into plasma‐sample interactions in real‐time and at high spatial resolution. Up till now, very few attempts in this direction have been made, and significant challenges remain. This work presents a stable direct current glow discharge microplasma setup built inside a scanning electron microscope. The experimental setup is capable of real‐time in situ imaging of the sample evolution during plasma operation and it demonstrates localized sputtering and sample oxidation. Further, the experimental parameters such as varying gas mixtures, electrode polarity, and field strength are explored and experimental V–I curves under various conditions are provided. These results demonstrate the capabilities of this setup in potential investigations of plasma physics, plasma‐surface interactions, and materials science and its practical applications. The presented setup shows the potential to have several technological applications, for example, to locally modify the sample surface (e.g., local oxidation and ion implantation for nanotechnology applications) on the µm‐scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of mixed ionic-electronic conducting (BaSr)(CoFe)O (BSCF) as gas separation membrane is up to now hampered by secondary phase formation which impairs the excellent oxygen permeation properties of this material. In this work, we have studied the impact of grain size and A/B-cation ratio on secondary phase formation in BSCF and Y-doped (BaSr)(CoFe)YO (BSCF10Y) by electron microscopic techniques before and after long-term thermal exposure at an application-relevant temperature (~760 °C). A large content of secondary phases is found in samples with small grain sizes because grain boundaries provide nucleation sites for secondary phases. Higher sintering temperatures increase the grain sizes and substantially reduce the content of secondary phases. Variations of the A/B-cation ratio between (BaSr)(CoFe)O and (BaSr)(CoFe)O do not lead to a change of the composition of the cubic BSCF phase but changes the volume fraction of CoO precipitates which are already formed during sintering. BSCF with an excess of A-site cations contains the smallest overall amount of secondary phases in undoped BSCF due to the minimization of CoO precipitation during sintering and the reduction of nucleation sites for other secondary phases at application-relevant temperatures. Secondary phase formation in BSCF10Y can be almost completely suppressed due to the stabilization of the cubic BSCF phase by Y-doping and large grain sizes after high-temperature sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel fabrication process of phase masks (PMs) for electron-beam shaping. • Process based on thermal scanning probe lithography and dry/wet etching. • PM consist of pure SiNx allowing precise control over the structured depth. • Pr***oof of working principle by generation of electron Vortex and Bessel beams. Nano-structured phase masks offer intriguing possibilities in electron-beam shaping. The fabrication of such phase masks is typically achieved by focused (Ga+-)ion beam milling of thin membranes. To overcome the problem of Ga implantation in the phase mask, we explore the fabrication of silicon-nitride phase masks using thermal scanning probe lithography combined with wet and dry etching. The functionality of the phase masks is demonstrated by generation of electron Vortex and Bessel beams. Major benefit of thermal scanning probe lithography in addition to the absence of ion implantation is the high accuracy and control over the patterned structure and depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]