International Materials Research Congress (IMRC)

The Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales (SMMater) and the Materials Research Society® (MRS) are pleased to invite you to attend the 33rd International Materials Research Congress (IMRC2026), scheduled for August 16-20, 2026.

Both societies are excited to be working together on the organization of the IMRC, held annually in Cancún, México.

Oxford Instruments invite you to a workshop on the latest advancements in Structural and Chemical Characterization and Correlating Raman Imaging at IMRC 2026 in Cancun, Mexico.

Drop by our booth to discuss our custom solutions for your research needs. We're looking forward to meeting you at the event and discussing your current work and workflows with you.

For more information go to: IMRC.

Tech Talks:

Monday, August 17, 2026 16:00 - 17:30 | Xcaret 4

Pushing the Limits of AFM Accuracy and Precision with Oxford Instruments Vero AFM

Ted Limpoco, PhD Senior Technical Sales Specialist​

Atomic force microscopy is a powerful imaging and characterization technique, but its ultimate accuracy and precision have been limited by how tip motion is detected. In this talk we’ll introduce Vero, the first commercial atomic force microscope to use quadrature phase differential interferometry (QPDI). We will discuss the advantage of using QPDi over conventional methods and show results that demonstrate its impact.​

QPDI dramatically improves the accuracy and precision of AFM measurements by​

• Directly measuring tip vertical displacement, rather than inferring tip displacement from angular deflection as in conventional optical beam detection (OBD)​
• Enabling straightforward in-situ tip calibration, with sensitivity defined by the detection laser wavelength, significantly improving the accuracy and precision of both normal and torsional force calibration.​
• Measuring tip displacement differentially against a proximate fixed mirror, reducing the effects of low-frequency noise and drift and delivering up to 20x improvement in detector noise floor, where we can see the true thermally limited motion of even the stiffest probes.​

Join us to learn how direct measurement of tip displacement improves AFM measurement accuracy, and how reduction in detector noise floor improves AFM measurement precision. These improvements to quantitative functional, mechanical, and electrical AFM measurements will have far-reaching impacts in the fields of piezo- and ferroelectric materials, 2D materials, polymers, semiconductor process control, and beyond Moore’s law materials.​

NEW witec360: Pushing the Limits of Confocal Raman Microscopy 

Ted Limpoco, PhD Senior Technical Sales Specialist​

Raman spectroscopy and confocal imaging are widely used in the development of semiconductors, advanced materials, energy storage technologies, and quantum materials. These advanced research areas require the most sensitive, highest quality data acquisition.​

Oxford Instrument’s witec360 Raman system uniquely combines the no-compromise resolution, sensitivity, and speed of our confocal Raman microscopes with the new Hexalight spectrometer to provide the broadest spectral range and highest spectral resolution. Hexalight adds to our Raman systems the ability to accommodate up to six custom gratings maximizing throughput, resolution, and broad wavelength coverage (350–1100 nm), which enables precise spectral shift detection and comprehensive sample analysis.​

In this presentation, we will discuss:​

• How our Raman system configuration achieves the highest resolution, sensitivity, and measurement speeds without compromise​
• The advantages of the Hexalight spectrometer’s broad wavelength coverage​
• Practical research examples that highlight how one integrated solution capable of Raman, photoluminescence, second harmonic generation imaging and more, enables comprehensive, non‑destructive materials characterization workflows​

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 | Maya 1

An Alternative to EPMA and TEM based on SEM: Unlock the Infinite Potential of EDS, BEX and EBSD

Alfredo Díaz González, PhD Technical Application Specialist​

The new Backscattered Electron and X-ray (BEX) technique is revolutionizing elemental analysis in the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Its unique geometry, sensitivity and speed are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with elemental analysis in the SEM. Combining BEX with the Ultim Max Infinity EDS significantly extends the analytical capabilities of SEM, offering a compelling new method to add to traditional techniques such as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA).With this combination we can go from analyzing fracture surfaces (high topography) and detecting tiny concentration differences in metal and alloys (segregation and diffusion at<1wt%) to multi-scale analysis of whole samples and sub 10nm structure analysis in SEM-STEM mode.​

Near Axis TKD (NA-TKD) introduces new geometry and detector hardware that allows the user to benefit from improved spatial resolution, higher speeds and using lower beam currents. This will enable effective characterization of electron-transparent nanocrystalline materials and of heavily deformed samples, where the high dislocation densities can prevent successful characterization using conventional EBSD.​

In this talk, we will demonstrate​

• The usability of EDS detectors combined with BEX, supported by Tru-Q IQ spectrum processing, for applications where WDS, EPMA, or TEM has traditionally been preferred​
• The improvement in spatial resolution for NA-TKD for the characterization of nanostructures down to a few nanometer grain sizes