Image Processing & Data Analysis
SIF users acquire an abundance of high-resolution images and high quality data daily from our facility. Equally important to the acquisition of this complex data is the time spent processing and understanding the results. We provide users access to a broad range of post-processing software packages for image and data analysis.
Image processing and analysis is available for both Fluorescence and Electron Microscopy imaging. The Leica Application Suite X (LAS X) provides fluorescence imaging performed on either the Leica DM6B upright microscope or the Leica SP8 confocal microscope. Our Zeiss SteREO Lumar V.12 inverted fluorescence microscope uses the Zeiss Zen Pro software platform for imaging and image processing.
Our Electron Microscopy capabilities span from Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for Biological and soft materials on the JEOL 1400 to harder (more dense) materials on the JEOL 2011, both instruments use the Gatan DigitalMicrograph imaging and analysis software. In addition "no cost" software packages such as Microsoft "Image Composite Editor" (ICE) and National Institute of Health (NIH) "ImageJ" provide imaging montage and analysis.
Characterization data comes in many formats and likewise requires specific types of analytical packages. Bulk-material structural analysis performed on our PANalytical X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) utilizes the HighScore Plus software coupled with the database suite PDF-4+ from the International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD). This instrument also has additional software packages for Texture, Reflectivity, Epitaxy, 2D Scan, and Small Angle X-ray (SAXS) analyses - all of these software packages are available on the instrument computer as well as a post-processing station. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) is a site-specific in-situ structural analysis technique performed on our FEI Quanta 3D Focused Ion Beam (FIB). The EBSD system coupled to our FIB is an EDAX TEAM Pegasus system integrated for Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) to acquire compositional information; additional data processing software is available on a post-processing station. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) on our Kratos Axis 165 perform near-surface chemical characterization. Our facility provides all LSU users access to CasaXPS software for post-processing their analysis, through our LSU site-license (please contact us for license information).