Please click here to find a list of past/archived events.
Scope of the Workshop series
The primary aim of this series of Workshops is to assess the state-of-the-art and reliability of microbeam analysis techniques.
The Workshops are organised in such a way as to maximise transfer of knowledge among the participants and to provide a comprehensive exhibition of the latest analytical equipment. The programme includes time and opportunities for participants to visit the technical exhibitions and interact with the manufacturers.
Previous Workshops in this series were held in Antwerp (1989), Dubrovnik (1991), Rimini (1993), St. Malo (1995), Torquay (1997), Konstanz (1999), Tampere (2001), Chiclana de la Frontera (2003), Florence (2005), Antwerp (2007), Gdansk (2009), Angers (2011), Porto (2013), Portorož (2015), Konstanz (2017), Trondheim (2019), and Krakow (2023). They included sessions covering electron (EPMA, EBSD, TEM, SEM, Auger, EELS), ion (SIMS, FIB), and nuclear (RBS, NRA) microbeam methods.
The main topics of the Eighteenth Workshop (EMAS 2025) are: Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA); Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD); Reference materials, quality control; Micro- and nanobeam analysis in the Earth Sciences; and Combined techniques. Time will also be devoted to problem orientated applications in material science, geological science, environmental studies, astrophysics, microelectronics, forensics, cultural heritage and archaeology, nanomaterials, surfaces and interfaces, catalysts, sensors, …
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Round-table discussions
Our round-table discussions are panel discussions taking place at the end of each scientific session on a main topic. They are moderated by a leading expert, assisted by the invited speakers of the corresponding session.
The idea is to stimulate the exchange of information and experience among the participants on a number of important problems in microbeam techniques. Such activities need careful preparation, both with regard to structure and subjects. Therefore, we would kindly request you to complete the discussion questionnaire on the on-line registration page. If you have specific questions, these can also be mentioned in 'Other suggestions' on the questionnaire.
Brief presentations or contributions to the round-table discussions are encouraged (please contact the round-table chairperson at the beginning of the Workshop).
Posters
Poster contributions are welcome on subjects within the scope of the workshop (see Scope). The abstracts will be refereed by the International Scientific Committee and will be published, together with the text of the invited lectures, in the Book of Tutorials and Abstracts of the workshop.
There will be three Oral Poster Sessions in which selected authors will be given 5 minutes to present the highlights of their poster using two or three powerpoint slides. Those authors selected will be notified some weeks prior to the workshop.
Authors have the opportunity to discuss their posters during the three poster sessions. Posters will be on display during the whole Workshop. Size of the display area: 1.50 m high by 1.00 m wide.
Two awards will be given: a) an EMAS Award for the best poster by an Early Career Scientist encompassing a certificate and an invitation from AMAS - Australian Microbeam Analysis Society to present his/her work at a microbeam event in Australia (the invitation will include a free conference registration and financial support from AMAS and EMAS for travel and living expenses), and b) an EMAS Workshop Poster Award encompassing a certificate and a cash prize of € 500.
Early Career Scientists' session
One session is dedicated to giving Early Career Scientists (ECS) the opportunity to present their work in a 15-minute oral presentation (including 3 minutes for discussion) (Eligibility criteria for ECS status can be found on the ‘EMAS Bursaries and Grants’ subpage of the EMAS website). There will be up to six such presentations selected from the submitted abstracts.
The best contribution and presentation will be awarded the EMAS Early Career Scientist Award, encompassing a certificate and an invitation from the Microanalysis Society of America (MAS) to present his/her work at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2026 Meeting to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (the invitation will include a free conference registration and financial support from MAS and EMAS for travel and living expenses).
Early Career Scientists wishing to be considered for this session should have submitted an abstract, and have to send a written application to the Workshop Secretariat, reaching it before 5 December 2024, and should be member of EMAS. Applicants will be notified of the allocation of an Early Career Scientists’ session slot by 15 January 2025. Applicants for an EMAS Bursary are also eligible to apply.
Abstracts
Abstracts to be presented during the workshop should fit two A4 pages using the Word-template available on the EMAS website (www.microbeamanalysis.eu). Detailed guidelines are mentioned on the template. Online submission details are given on the workshop webpage.
The abstract has to be submitted before 15 February 2025. Authors will be notified of the acceptance of their poster by 15 March 2025.
Publication
Authors of accepted contributions are encouraged to submit a manuscript for publication in the workshop’s proceedings volume, to be published in an as yet to be decided international, peer-reviewed and SCOPUS-listed, journal. All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed. Owing to limitations imposed by the publisher, the editors will apply a stringent selection procedure based on quality, diversity, and adherence to the manuscript preparation rules. Manuscripts will have to be submitted in the format outlined by the publisher to their online manuscript submission system.
Workshop language
The official language of the Workshop will be English.
Key dates
EMAS Bursaries
A number of EMAS Bursaries are available to:i) Early Career Scientist (ECS): They include a free student registration and free accommodation package for the duration of the EMAS Workshop (in a shared twin room) in a hotel assigned by the Workshop. The conditions for the award of an EMAS ECS Bursary are as follows:‐ the applicant must submit an abstract for a poster contribution;‐ the applicant must be an ECS and a member of EMAS;‐ a letter from the applicant's project supervisor or principal investigator supporting the application must accompany the abstract.ii) Early Career Technician (ECT): They include a free student registration and free accommodation package for the duration of the EMAS Workshop (in a shared twin room) in a hotel assigned by the Workshop. The conditions for the award of an EMAS ECT Bursary are as follows:‐ the applicant must submit an abstract for a poster contribution;‐ the applicant must be an ECT and a member of EMAS;‐ a letter from the applicant's line manager supporting the application must accompany the abstract.(Eligibility criteria for ECS and ECT status can be found on the ‘EMAS Bursaries and Grants’ subpage of the EMAS website).
The quality and relevance of the work presented in the abstract are the main criteria on which successful applications will be judged. A maximum of 2 bursaries per person can be awarded.
Bursary applications must be sent to the Workshop Secretariat referring to the relevant online submitted poster contribution abstract, reaching it before 15 November 2024. Applicants will be notified of the allocation of an EMAS bursary by 15 January 2025.
Exhibition
Ample space, immediately adjacent to the lecture and poster areas, will be available for the exhibition of instruments, equipment, leaflets and books. Interested companies are invited to contact the Workshop Secretariat.
Short courses / Working groups meetings
Short Courses
Each of these is limited to 25 participants. They are open to non-workshop participants. Cost per course, covering course material and a refreshment break, is € 75.
Short course: Introduction to EBSD (morning Sunday May 11th, 2025)A ½-day short course to introduce the physical and practical methods of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The course is given as a series of short lectures. The course is aimed at students, technicians, engineers and researchers with either no or limited experience of EBSD although some familiarity with basic SEM techniques would be beneficial. The course is an introduction and will cover different aspects of EBSD including overview of EBSD and historical aspects, some basics of sample preparation, EBSD on non-conductive materials, and some clues for transmission EBSD work.
Short course: Advanced electron probe microanalysis (morning Sunday May 11th, 2025)This ½ day short course aims to explore some of the challenges and opportunities of working at the limits of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). We will explore light element and low voltage analysis; analysis of trace elements; high-resolution analysis and the effects of secondary fluorescence; the use of a range of coating materials for problematic non-conducting samples. Participants should be moderately equipped with a working knowledge of EPMA, both the theory and some technical experience of the instrument, to wholly benefit from this course.
Short course: Modelling in EPMA using MC simulation and Boltzmann-transport equation (morning Sunday May 11th, 2025)In electron microscopy and its analytical methods, the electron- and photon matter interactions play a dominant role. The electrons and the atoms of a sample are the reactants, and the backscattered, transmitted, secondary electrons, the characteristic, and Bremsstrahlung X-rays, the products. As only the products of these interactions can be measured, Monte Carlo simulations have been developed over the years to help microscopists understand, visualise, predict and get results obtained from their measurements.This ½-day short course aims to be as practical as possible, providing tutorials how modern and freely available Monte Carlo programmes can be used to address common microanalysis problems and situations, including the reconstruction of simple geometries. Taking advantage of their respective possibilities, different programmes will be demonstrated in the course, including NeXL, PENELOPE, Monaco, MC X-Ray and PyMonteCarlo. Additionally, alternative deterministic approximations of the Boltzmann transport equation together with code examples will be presented. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop.
Working group meetings
Each of these is limited to 25 participants. They are open to non-workshop participants. Cost for the ‘Facility management’ working group meeting is € 75, and € 100 for the ‘EPMA optimisation in irradiated and nuclear material analysis’ working group meeting.
Working group: EPMA optimisation in irradiated and nuclear material analysis (afternoon Saturday May 10th, 2025)Numerous difficulties are encountered when performing EPMA analysis on irradiated and radioactive nuclear materials. These include, but are not limited to: lack of reliable standards, difficulty handling samples, complex overlaps (e.g., Kr-Kα), lack of reliable φ(ρZ) corrections, etc.This working group will focus on EPMA analysis of nuclear and radioactive materials. The goal is to identify high priority issues that can be addressed collaboratively by session members following the meeting.
Working group: Facility management (afternoon Sunday May 11th, 2025)This working group is an opportunity to discuss the management of a microanalytical facility, such as a scanning electron microscope or an electron microprobe laboratory (among others). One of the primordial tasks of the lab manager is to ensure optimum working conditions for the instrument(s), and to ensure that the analysts – students or researchers – get the data they need with the excellent precision and accuracy they deserve. These instruments are expensive and need care to ensure high quality results, and the manager should be able to easily identify the problem and sometimes even fix it, and to run periodically performance and quality tests.The working group will consist of a series of talks from dr Dirk Berger (leader of the IGEME: German interest group of electron microscopic facilities) and dr Julien Allaz (former leader of FIGMAS: Focussed interest group on microanalytical standards), both being experienced SEM and EPMA lab managers. We will deepen the hottest and most popular topics from the last meeting and will cover additional topics. There will be ample time for group discussion. Subjects to be discussed may include:• Quality controls and testing of instrument performance,• Standards and reference materials,• Teaching & training for lab users and students,• Lab organisation,• Comparison of different research environment,• Networking laboratories within and between houses,• Model for seed funding for young scientists,• Public relation, such as “core facility days”,• etc.As these subjects can be quite broad, participants will be encouraged to provide a list of their preferred topics they would like to see covered during this workshop.
PROGRAMME
Please download the PDF of the final announcement for details on the programme.
Registration fees
Participants are encouraged to complete registration and arrange for their payment, preferably before 15 March 2025 to qualify for reduced rates.The workshop registration package includes:➢ lunches (Mo. – We.) and all refreshment breaks;➢ the welcome reception (Su.) and the workshop dinner (We.);➢ the workshop programme booklet;➢ a PDF-copy of the workshop’s Book of Tutorials and Abstracts containing the detailed programme, the text of the invited lectures, and the abstracts of the poster presentations;➢ a hard copy of the workshop’s Book of Tutorials and Abstracts can be ordered, before 1 April 2025, by completing the relevant tick box on the registration page
Social programme
All participants and accompanying persons are invited to the welcome reception on Sunday evening. This informal get-together is hosted by the International Scientific Committee and the Local Organising Committee.On Wednesday evening, a workshop dinner will be held at Masia Mas Coll, Alella. The cost is included in the registration fee but is extra for accompanying persons.
Payment
Payment of the registration fee should be preferentially made through the EMAS website (www.microbeamanalysis.eu) using the online PayPal system (no account necessary); no credit card information will be stored on the EMAS website; various payment options are available (e.g., credit cards) depending on your country. An invoice/receipt will be generated by the system.Alternatively, if you prefer to pay by bank transfer or any other offline payment method, please choose the "pay offline" button and follow the instructions; this will generate your invoice, which includes bank transfer and contact details.
Cancellation
Refund of the registration fee (less € 100 administrative costs) will only be granted if notification of cancellation has reached the Workshop Secretariat before 1 April 2025. After this date, no refund will be made. Refunds will be processed after the Workshop.
Insurance
The organisers cannot be held responsible for any personal accident or damage to the property of the participants.
Personal data
Personal information supplied to EMAS will be held on computer and may be used only for purposes connected with the activities of the European Microbeam Analysis Society.
Accommodation
A limited number of rooms have been blocked for EMAS 2025 attendees in three hotels in Mataró:
a) URH Ciutat de Mataró, Camí Ral 648, 08302 Mataró, Spain Room rates of € 147 per night in double room for single use and € 158 per night in double room (breakfast included), + € 1.32 per person/day of local tax. A number of rooms have been set aside, until March 15th, after which date bookings will depend upon availability. Online bookings can be done using the EMAS2025 promotional code.
b) Atenea Port Mataró Hotel, Passeig Marítim 324, 08302 Mataró, Spain Room rates of € 190 per night in double room for single use or double occupancy (breakfast not included), + € 1.32 per person/day of local tax. A number of rooms have been set aside, until March 15th, after which date bookings will depend upon availability. Online bookings can be done using the TecnoCampus promotional code.
Venue
TecnoCampus Mataró-Maresme TecnoCampus Congress Centre (TCM 2 Tower building) Avinguda d’Ernest Lluch 32 08302 Mataró, Spain
The TecnoCampus is a technology park based in the city of Mataró, in the Maresme region. As well as striving to be a project of national and international projection, it is a firm pledge by the region towards contributing decisively to its own economic and social transformation.
The TecnoCampus Congress Centre is a symbol for finding talent on the European Mediterranean coast. Its location at the TecnoCampus technological park, a radar for innovation and company creation, gives the Congress Centre the perfect ecosystem to stimulate business talent and provoke the entrepreneurial spirit. Located right in front of the sea, in a clearly Mediterranean environment, where the university and business find their perfect point of contact, the TecnoCampus Congress Centre offers the optimum context to hold all kinds of events.
Mataró is a Mediterranean city well worth visiting at any time of the year! The capital of Maresme county, with population of over 129,000, the city occupies a superb location, lying between the sea and the Serralada Litoral mountains. Just 30 minutes from Barcelona, Mataró is also very near to some of the finest tourist resorts in the county.
Moreover, Mataró carefully conserves its traditions, history, heritage, culture and natural landscapes for the enjoyment of visitors and locals alike. A stroll around the city centre reveals a huge variety of quality shops and restaurants, as well as the El Rengle and Plaça de Cuba traditional markets, where you can find many products certified as local by the Collits a Casa brand.
All these facilities are combined with a pleasant, attractive environment in which the visitor is frequently surprised by examples of the rich local heritage. Roman remains from the ancient city of Iluro. The beautiful baroque Chapel of Els Dolors in the Basilica of Santa Maria. The Nau Gaudí, the first work by the Modernista (Art Nouveau) architect Antoni Gaudí, which now houses the Museum of Contemporary Art, with works from the Bassat Collection, to name but three.
For more information about the city of Mataró please visit the Visit Mataro website and for the Barcelona area the Visit Barcelona website.
How to get to the Workshop venue
Please also see the map at the bottom of this page.
a) By air: The Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport is located 14 km south of the city centre of Barcelona. Barcelona airport is connected to the Barcelona-Sants railway station by the Rodalies de Catalunya R2N line (several trains per hour).
b) By train: The Barcelona-Sants railway station is connected by high-speed train services from/to Madrid and Paris. Mataró can be reached from the Barcelona-Sants railway station on the Rodalies de Catalunya R1 line (several trains per hour).c) By bus: The Aerobus A1 airport terminal T1 or the Aerobus A2 from terminal T2; both stop at Plaça Catalunya (centre of Barcelona). At about 350 m from there, at the Ronda de la Universitat 25 there is the bus stop for Buses Moventis line e11.1 that goes directly to Mataró. Its first stop after leaving the highway is Camí Ral - Porta Laietana, just at 5 min walk from the Tecnocampus.
d) By car: Mataró can be reached from Barcelona by the C-32 highway, taking either the Mataró Sud or Mataró Oest exits, or by the N-II coastal road.Mataró can be reached from the Spanish/French border by means of the AP-7 highway, taking exit 12B for the C-60 road to Mataró.
For additional information: https://centredecongressos.tecnocampus.cat/en/find-us/
The weather in Mataró (Barcelona) in May
In May, Mataró has a typical mean daytime temperature of about 21 °C, with minima of 18 °C and maxima of 25 °C, and with a daily average of about 11 hours of sunshine. May averages 6 rainy days for a total of about 51 mm of rain.
International Scientific Committee
Local Organising Committee
Marc CampenyXavier Llovet (chair)Joaquín A. ProenzaLuc Van ’t dack Cristina Villanova-de-Benavent
Workshop Secretariat
EMAS 2025 Workshop SecretariatUniversity of AntwerpDepartment of Chemistry, Research Group PLASMANTCampus Groenenborger, Groenenborgerlaan 1712020 AntwerpenBelgiumtelephone: +32-3-265.23.43e-mail: top
