Achromatic Elemental Mapping Beyond the Nanoscale in the Transmission Electron Microscope

Abstract

Newly developed achromatic electron optics allows the use of wide energy windows and makes feasible energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) at atomic resolution. In this Letter we present EFTEM images formed using electrons that have undergone a silicon L(2,3) core-shell energy loss, exhibiting a resolution in EFTEM of 1.35 Å. This permits elemental mapping beyond the nanoscale provided that quantum mechanical calculations from first principles are done in tandem with the experiment to understand the physical information encoded in the images.

A nonlinear filtering algorithm for denoising HR(S)TEM micrographs

“…energy window of 20 eV in steps of 20 eV for center-window energies between 390 eV and 610 eV using 20 s per frame and a current of 3 nA. Because of the delocalized nature of the transition potentials [18,19], the lattice fringe contrast in the elastic wave function generated by elastic, coherent scattering is preserved in the inelastic waves. However, the lattice contrast is barely visible in the raw experimental data (Fig.…”

The correction of electron lens aberrations

“…The TEM resolution at 80 kV is 80 pm. The ability of the instrument to achieve atomic resolution in EFTEM is shown by Urban et al [196]. Scientists at Jülich and its partner, the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) at Aachen, have drawn attention to a practical hazard.…”

“…State of the development of a C s corrected high resolution 200 kV TEM. Paris.1,[195][196] M. Haider, G. Braunshausen and E. . …”

“…& Microanal. 12,[191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198][199][200][201][202][203][204][205] M. Lentzen and A. Thust (2006 C. . Object-defined resolution below 0.5 Å in transmission electron microscopyrecent advances on the TEAM 0.…”

Fast Imaging with Inelastically Scattered Electrons by Off-Axis Chromatic Confocal Electron Microscopy

“…In conventional instruments, the spatial resolution of EFTEM images is limited by the chromatic aberration, C c , of the imaging lens system, which focuses electrons of different energies onto different planes. Recently, the development of sophisticated electron optics to correct C c [4] has enabled a larger energy window to be used (∼40 eV), increasing the signal to noise ratio [5] and resulting in the first core-loss EFTEM images exhibiting atomic-scale contrast [6]. Although an exciting development, C c correctors are currently only available on fewer than five instruments worldwide.…”