Broad Ion Beam Milling with the Hitachi IM4000-II
On February 24, 2026, the NUANCE Center at Northwestern University hosted a technical workshop on Broad Ion Beam milling using the Hitachi IM4000-II Ion Mill. The event brought together researchers, students, and microscopy specialists to learn about advanced sample preparation techniques and explore practical applications of ion milling for materials characterization.
A total of 22 participants attended the workshop, demonstrating strong interest in ion beam sample preparation methods within the research community. The event was organized in collaboration with Hitachi High-Tech and included both a technical presentation and hands-on demonstrations.
Exploring Broad Ion Beam Milling
The workshop featured a presentation by Jing-jiang Yu, Sr. Product Specialist in the Environmental Business Division at Hitachi High-Tech, titled “Exploring Broad Ion Beam Milling: Principles, Applications, and Instrumentation.”
During his talk, Yu introduced the fundamentals of broad ion beam milling and discussed how the technique can be used to prepare high-quality cross sections and polished surfaces for a wide range of materials.
Yu highlighted how the technique enables improved surface quality for advanced characterization methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and other analytical techniques used in materials science research. He also provided an overview of the capabilities of the Hitachi IM4000-II ion mill, including key features and considerations for optimizing milling conditions depending on sample type and analytical goals.
Jing-jiang Yu presents his talk.
Hands-On Demonstrations
Following the technical presentation, attendees participated in live demonstrations and one-on-one consultations with Hitachi specialists using the IM4000-II system.
Interest in the hands-on portion of the workshop was high, and all demonstration sessions were fully booked. Participants were able to observe the ion milling process firsthand and discuss sample preparation strategies tailored to their own research projects.
Supporting the Research Community
Workshops like this are part of the NUANCE Center’s ongoing mission to support the research community through training opportunities, collaborations with instrumentation partners, and access to advanced characterization tools.