TEMPOS stands for Transmission Electron Microscopy at Palaiseau, Orsay and Saclay: it unites the efforts of the Université Paris-Sud (UPSud), Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, and CEA to create a world-class centre for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is founded on the fame and scientific excellence of the STEM group (LPS, CNRS-UPSud) in TEM and spectroscopy, on the international reputation of the CNRS’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies (C2N) in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and TEM, on the first class, industry-oriented research into chemical vapour deposition at Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (LPICM) at Ecole polytechnique, and on the state-of-the-art know-how of the four partners in nanosciences. This EQUIPEX project is coordinated by the STEM group.
TEMPOS is a three-pronged project, with two pieces of next-generation equipment devoted to excellence in TEM (CHROMATEM and NANOMAX), and a third pole to back up the development of other local nanoscience activities (NANOTEM). NANOMAX and CHROMATEM aim at expanding the frontiers in the study of individual nano-objects and nanomaterials, from their growth to the most local measurement of their physical properties, with innovative instrumentation. NANOTEM, provides support to the whole nanoscience community on the Campus and also enables the necessary preliminary studies required by the other two microscopes. The TEMPOS project’s objects of study are innovative materials, nanostructures and architectures, including spintronics and “oxitronics” devices, metamaterials, semiconducting nanowires and quantum emitters, carbon nanotubes, functional oxides. By providing a greatly enhanced understanding of their growth mechanisms and their optical and electronic properties, TEMPOS will contribute to the emergence of real applications.
This knowledge and technology transfer should be eased by the presence of private companies (Thales RT, St Gobain Recherche) and joint venture laboratories (Thales-CNRS UMφ, St Gobain-CNRS SVI) in the consortium.
Beyond, TEMPOS gathers a larger local consortium, and is involved in local, national and international collaborations and facility programms, as described below.