Improvement of TEM Bright-Field Images by Hollow-Cone Illumination

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 200-201
Author(s):  
H. Rose ◽  
J. Fertig
Keyword(s):  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Scattering Amplitude ◽  
Cone Angle ◽  
Hollow Cone ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Single Atoms ◽  
Severe Reduction ◽  
Imaging Mode ◽  
Field Imaging ◽  
Absorption Contrast

Axial coherent (parallel) illumination, commonly used for bright-field imaging, creates artifacts and strong structural noise. These parasitic structures are caused by an overlap of Fresnel fringes, which can be largely suppressed if hollow-cone (partially coherent) illumination is employed (1,2). However, it is commonly assumed that this imaging mode leads to a severe reduction in contrast. To obtain reliable information on the maximum contrast achievable, we have made extensive calculations of images of single atoms taking into account both phase contrast and scattering absorption contrast. The image contrast C = C(r, C3, Δf, U, θo, θ, Z) of an atom is a function of the image coordinate r, sperical aberration C3, defocus Δf, voltage U, aperture ΔO, cone angle Δ of the illumination, and the atomic number Z. At resolutions currently obtainable, the bright-field contrast of the objects can be described very accurately if the first- and second-order terms of the Born approximation of the scattering amplitude are considered.

Experiments in Bright-Field Imaging with Hollow-Cone Illumination

1981 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 226-227
Author(s):  
W. Kunath ◽  
K. Weiss ◽  
E. Zeitler
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Carbon Support ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Optic Axis ◽  
Hollow Cone ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
Single Field ◽  
Field Imaging

Bright-field images taken with axial illumination show spurious high contrast patterns which obscure details smaller than 15 ° Hollow-cone illumination (HCI), however, reduces this disturbing granulation by statistical superposition and thus improves the signal-to-noise ratio. In this presentation we report on experiments aimed at selecting the proper amount of tilt and defocus for improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio by means of direct observation of the electron images on a TV monitor.Hollow-cone illumination is implemented in our microscope (single field condenser objective, Cs = .5 mm) by an electronic system which rotates the tilted beam about the optic axis. At low rates of revolution (one turn per second or so) a circular motion of the usual granulation in the image of a carbon support film can be observed on the TV monitor. The size of the granular structures and the radius of their orbits depend on both the conical tilt and defocus.

Possibility of Single Atom Resolution in Single-Sideband Imaging

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 16-17
Author(s):  
K. H. Downin
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Image Processing ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Single Atom ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Heavy Atoms ◽  
Single Atoms ◽  
Single Sideband ◽  
Light Components

The ability to distinguish between heavy and light components of a specimen, and especially to distinguish single heavy atoms, would be a great benefit in many instances. Even with the demonstrated ability of the STEM, and of the CTEM especially in dark field, to image single atoms, it is of interest to know the possibility of using bright field in a conventional microscope with subsequent image processing to obtain images of single heavy atoms separated from the image of a lighter supporting film.Single-sideband image reconstruction, involving the combination of two images obtained using opposite halves of the diffraction pattern, offers in principle the ability to separate images of heavy and light specimen components, or specimen components giving rise to amplitude and phase contrast, respectively. This has been demonstrated in electron microscopy^, but under conditions or low resolution, where inelastic scattering, as well as scattering outside the effective objective aperture, contribute heavily to the component with amplitude contrast.

Signal-to-noise enhancement in bright field images by incoherent superposition

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-233
Author(s):  
W. Kunath
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Random Network ◽  
Carbon Film ◽  
Cone Angle ◽  
Carbon Support ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Contrast Transfer Function ◽  
Subsidiary Maxima ◽  
Field Imaging

Bright field imaging of heavy single atoms with hollow cone illumination results in images with only slightly reduced central contrast, compared to axial illumination, but strongly suppressed subsidiary maxima. This holds for certain values for the cone angle and defocus and is due to the triangle-shaped contrast transfer function. Computer-simulated micrographs of Hg atoms on a carbon support film show that the inherent structural noise is suppressed as well, resulting in twice as good a signal-to-noise ratio compared to axial illumination. The phase grating approximation is used.The computer-generated carbon film with an area of 48 Å by 48 Å is a random network of atoms, the sampling distance corresponding to 0.75 Å. It is fitted to give a noise-to-background ratio N = 5% in the Scherzer focus with the data λ = 3.7 • 10-2 A; Cs = 0.5 mm; Cc = 0.8 mm of our microscope.

Ultra-high Contrast Amplification in Bright-field Images

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joerg Piper
Keyword(s):  
Phase Contrast ◽  
New Method ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Field Imaging

In this paper, a new way for visualization of unstained transparent specimens is described, which is based on bright-field imaging and promises an improved resolution and contrast. The final results can be compared with conventional phase contrast images, and the new method may lead to superior results in most specimens.

Electronic Cone Illumination with the Conventional Transmission Electron Microscope

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
William Krakow
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Device ◽  
Chromatic Aberration ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Hollow Cone ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Lissajous Figures ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Imaging Mode ◽  
Diffraction Patterns ◽  
Transmission Microscope

An electronic device has been constructed which manipulates the primary beam in the conventional transmission microscope to illuminate a specimen under a variety of virtual condenser aperture conditions. The device uses the existing tilt coils of the microscope, and modulates the D.C. signals to both x and y tilt directions simultaneously with various waveforms to produce Lissajous figures in the back-focal plane of the objective lens. Electron diffraction patterns can be recorded which reflect the manner in which the direct beam is tilted during exposure of a micrograph. The device has been utilized mainly for the hollow cone imaging mode where the device provides a microscope transfer function without zeros in all spatial directions and has produced high resolution images which are also free from the effect of chromatic aberration. A standard second condenser aperture is employed and the width of the cone annulus is readily controlled by defocusing the second condenser lens.

Removal of inelastically scattered electrons substantially increases phase contrast on frozen-hydrated molecules

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 652-653
Author(s):  
John P. Langmore ◽  
Brian D. Athey
Keyword(s):  
Electron Diffraction ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Biological Structure ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Low Contrast ◽  
Negative Stain ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

Although electron diffraction indicates better than 0.3nm preservation of biological structure in vitreous ice, the imaging of molecules in ice is limited by low contrast. Thus, low-dose images of frozen-hydrated molecules have significantly more noise than images of air-dried or negatively-stained molecules. We have addressed the question of the origins of this loss of contrast. One unavoidable effect is the reduction in scattering contrast between a molecule and the background. In effect, the difference in scattering power between a molecule and its background is 2-5 times less in a layer of ice than in vacuum or negative stain. A second, previously unrecognized, effect is the large, incoherent background of inelastic scattering from the ice. This background reduces both scattering and phase contrast by an additional factor of about 3, as shown in this paper. We have used energy filtration on the Zeiss EM902 in order to eliminate this second effect, and also increase scattering contrast in bright-field and dark-field.

scholarly journals Visualization of lithium ions by annular bright field imaging

Microscopy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshifumi Oshima ◽  
Soyeon Lee ◽  
Kunio Takayanagi
Keyword(s):  
Lithium Ions ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Field Imaging

Coelomomyces canadense stat. et comb. nov. (Blastocladiales: Coelomomycetaceae) from Psectrocladius sp. G (Diptera: Chironomidae)

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (18) ◽  
pp. 2303-2306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Field Phase ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Latin Diagnosis ◽  
Taxonomic Criterion ◽  
Sporangial Wall ◽  
Scanning Electron

Resistant sporangia of Coelomomyces chironomi var. canadense Weiser and McCauley were examined by bright-field, phase-contrast, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The use of SEM facilitated the observation of previously undescribed complex furrows in the sporangial wall. The taxonomic criterion for varietal status is discussed, and the variety is elevated to species status. Coelomomyces canadense (Weiser and McCauley) Nolan stat. et comb. nov. is described with an emended Latin diagnosis.

Raman Chemical Imaging of Explosive-Contaminated Fingerprints

2009 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 1197-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. Emmons ◽  
A. Tripathi ◽  
J. A. Guicheteau ◽  
S. D. Christesen ◽  
A. W. Fountain
Keyword(s):  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Chemical Imaging ◽  
Correlation Technique ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Characteristic Region ◽  
Biometric Analysis ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Raman Chemical Imaging ◽  
Cross Correlation Technique ◽  
Field Imaging

Raman chemical imaging (RCI) has been used to detect and identify explosives in contaminated fingerprints. Bright-field imaging is used to identify regions of interest within a fingerprint, which can then be examined to determine their chemical composition using RCI and fluorescence imaging. Results are presented where explosives in contaminated fingerprints are identified and their spatial distributions are obtained. Identification of explosives is obtained using Pearson's cosine cross-correlation technique using the characteristic region (500–1850 cm−1) of the spectrum. This study shows the ability to identify explosives nondestructively so that the fingerprint remains intact for further biometric analysis. Prospects for forensic examination of contaminated fingerprints are discussed.

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