Holographic contrast transfer theory

Author(s):  
R. Plass ◽  
L. D. Marks

With the advent of reliable cold field emission transmission electron microscopes there is substantial interest in using the amplitude and phase information recorded in electron holograms to optically or numerically correct for the coherent aberrations of transmission electron microscopes. However electron holography cannot compensate for incoherent aberrations. The derivation of the contrast transfer function for off axis electron holography in this paper shows there is no fundamental improvement in resolution for electron holography over conventional transmission electron microscopy.Evaluating the contrast transfer function involves mathematically following an electron beam through a field emission electron microscope set up for off axis electron holography. Due to the high coherence of the field emission electron beam coherent aberrations caused by the pre-specimen beam focusing system must be accounted for. Starting with a spacial frequency distribution, C(v), for the electron beam leaving the gun, the electron beam is limited by the condenser aperture and coherently aberrated by the condenser lens and objective pre-field as it passes to the specimen region:

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1142-1143
Author(s):  
Takaho Yoshida ◽  
Takeshi Kawasaki ◽  
Junji Endo ◽  
Tadao Furutsu ◽  
Isao Matsui ◽  
...  

Bright and coherent electron beams have been opening new frontiers in science and technology. So far, we have developed several field-emission transmission electron microscopes (FE-TEM) with increasing accelerating voltages to provide higher beam brightness. By using a 200-kV FE-TEM and electron holography techniques, we directly confirmed the Aharonov-Bohm effect. A 350-kV FE-TEM equipped with a low-temperature specimen stage enabled us to observe moving vortices in superconductors.2 Most Recently, we have developed a new 1-MV FE-TEM with a newly designed FE gun to obtain an even brighter and more coherent electron beam.Electron beam brightness, Br, defined in Figure 1, is suitable for measuring the performance of electron guns, since both lens aberrations and mechanical/electrical vibrations contribute to a decrease in beam brightness, and beam coherency is proportional to (Br)1/2. Therefore, we optimized design of the illuminating system and its operation by maximizing the electron beam brightness.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1138-1139
Author(s):  
I. Matsui ◽  
T. Katsuta ◽  
T. Kawasaki ◽  
S. Hayashi ◽  
T. Furutsu ◽  
...  

We have developed 100-kV, 200-kV, and 350-kV cold-field-emission transmission electron microscopes (FE-TEMs) successively up to this time. Using these instruments, we have been studying the magnetic structure of materials, high-resolution imaging by electron holography, and dynamic observation of the vortex in superconductors by Lorentz microscopy. To make more progress in our research, we need a better electron beam in terms of coherency, beam brightness, and penetration. Here, we report a new lMV-cold-field-emission transmission electron microscope we have developed. Historically, the pioneering projects on a lMV-field-emission scanning transmission electron microscope (FE-STEM) (Zeitler and Crewe, 1974) and a 1.6MV FE-STEM (Jouffrey et al., 1984) have been reported. In 1988, Maruse and Shimoyama obtained a lMV-field-emission beam using their 1.25MV-STEM connected to a field-emission gun. Since then, continuous improvements in beam brightness has been made.The target specifications of our 1 MV-cold-field-emission TEM (H-1000FT) are as follows: Acceleration voltage: 1MV, high-voltage stability :


Author(s):  
B.G. Frost ◽  
D.C. Joy ◽  
E. Völkl ◽  
L.F. Allard

In order to align an electron microscope for low magnification holography we usually completely switch off the objective lens and image the sample by the first intermediate lens. In addition, to achieve a highly coherent electron beam we highly excite the condensor lens resulting in a divergent illumination of the sample and the intermediate lens. Now negatively biasing the fiber of a Möllenstedt type biprism placed between the first an second intermediate lenses of our Hitachi HF-2000 field emission electron microscope creates two virtual sources below the back focal plane of the first intermediate lens. These two sources are necessary to form off-axis holograms. Slightly exciting the objective lens and still imaging the sample by the first intermediate lens results in two major changes in our holograms.First: Due to an electron beam less divergent or even convergent illuminating the first intermediate lens when exciting the objective lens (compare Fig. 1 to Fig.2) the angle β at which object wave and reference wave are superimposed decreases.


Author(s):  
N. H. Olson ◽  
U. Lücken ◽  
S. B. Walker ◽  
M. T. Otten ◽  
T. S. Baker

The field emission gun electron microscope (FEG) is a tool that has the potential to achieve near atomic resolution information of biological macromolecules. The FEG provides a beam with higher spatial and temporal coherence and a better phase contrast transfer function than do microscopes with either tungsten or LaB6 filaments. The FEG is also ideal for spot scan imaging applications because it can produce a small, coherent and very bright spot. In spot scan mode the specimen is exposed to an array of nonoverlapping spots rather man a flood beam. This significantly reduces beam-induced specimen drift.Frozen-hydrated samples of cowpea chlorotic mottle (CCMV, Fig. 1A) and cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV, Fig. IB) were examined on a Philips CM12 transmission electron microscope equipped with a standard LaB6 gun and on a Philips CM200 equipped with a field emission gun, respectively. The CM12 was operated at 120kV and was externally controlled by means of a spot scan imaging program which produced a series of 250 nm diameter spots on Kodak SO-163 sheet film.


Author(s):  
G. Lehmpfuhl ◽  
P. J. Smith

Specimens being observed with electron-beam instruments are subject to contamination, which is due to polymerization of hydrocarbon molecules by the beam. This effect becomes more important as the size of the beam is reduced. In convergent-beam studies with a beam diameter of 100 Å, contamination was observed to grow on samples at very high rates. Within a few seconds needles began forming under the beam on both the top and the underside of the sample, at growth rates of 400-500 Å/s, severely limiting the time available for observation. Such contamination could cause serious difficulty in examining a sample with the new scanning transmission electron microscopes, in which the beam is focused to a few angstroms.We have been able to reduce the rate of contamination buildup by a combination of methods: placing an anticontamination cold trap in the sample region, preheating the sample before observation, and irradiating the sample with a large beam before observing it with a small beam.


Author(s):  
B.G. Frost ◽  
D.C. Joy ◽  
L.F. Allard ◽  
E. Voelkl

A wide holographic field of view (up to 15 μm in the Hitachi-HF2000) is achieved in a TEM by switching off the objective lens and imaging the sample by the first intermediate lens. Fig.1 shows the corresponding ray diagram for low magnification image plane off-axis holography. A coherent electron beam modulated by the sample in its amplitude and its phase is superimposed on a plane reference wave by a negatively biased Möllenstedt-type biprism.Our holograms are acquired utilizing a Hitachi HF-2000 field emission electron microscope at 200 kV. Essential for holography are a field emission gun and an electron biprism. At low magnification, the excitation of each lens must be appropriately adjusted by the free lens control mode of the microscope. The holograms are acquired by a 1024 by 1024 slow-scan CCD-camera and processed by the “Holoworks” software. The hologram fringes indicate positively and negatively charged areas in a sample by the direction of the fringe bending (Fig.2).


Author(s):  
B. L. Armbruster ◽  
B. Kraus ◽  
M. Pan

One goal in electron microscopy of biological specimens is to improve the quality of data to equal the resolution capabilities of modem transmission electron microscopes. Radiation damage and beam- induced movement caused by charging of the sample, low image contrast at high resolution, and sensitivity to external vibration and drift in side entry specimen holders limit the effective resolution one can achieve. Several methods have been developed to address these limitations: cryomethods are widely employed to preserve and stabilize specimens against some of the adverse effects of the vacuum and electron beam irradiation, spot-scan imaging reduces charging and associated beam-induced movement, and energy-filtered imaging removes the “fog” caused by inelastic scattering of electrons which is particularly pronounced in thick specimens.Although most cryoholders can easily achieve a 3.4Å resolution specification, information perpendicular to the goniometer axis may be degraded due to vibration. Absolute drift after mechanical and thermal equilibration as well as drift after movement of a holder may cause loss of resolution in any direction.


1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1243-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raynald Gauvin ◽  
Steve Yue

The observation of microstructural features smaller than 300 nm is generally performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) because conventional Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) do not have the resolution to image such small phases. Since the early 1990’s, a new generation of microscopes is now available on the market. These are the Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope with a virtual secondary electron detector. The field emission gun gives a higher brightness than those obtained using conventional electron filaments allowing enough electrons to be collected to operate the microscope with incident electron energy, E0, below 5 keV with probe diameter smaller than 5 nm. At 1 keV, the electron range is 60 nm in aluminum and 10 nm in iron (computed using the CASINO program). Since the electron beam diameter is smaller than 5 nm at 1 keV, the resolution of these microscopes becomes closer to that of TEM.


MRS Bulletin ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 746-753
Author(s):  
Taylor J. Woehl ◽  
Trevor Moser ◽  
James E. Evans ◽  
Frances M. Ross

Abstract


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 484-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Layla Mehdi ◽  
Meng Gu ◽  
Lucas R. Parent ◽  
Wu Xu ◽  
Eduard N. Nasybulin ◽  
...  

AbstractThe recent development of in-situ liquid stages for (scanning) transmission electron microscopes now makes it possible for us to study the details of electrochemical processes under operando conditions. As electrochemical processes are complex, care must be taken to calibrate the system before any in-situ/operando observations. In addition, as the electron beam can cause effects that look similar to electrochemical processes at the electrolyte/electrode interface, an understanding of the role of the electron beam in modifying the operando observations must also be understood. In this paper we describe the design, assembly, and operation of an in-situ electrochemical cell, paying particular attention to the method for controlling and quantifying the experimental parameters. The use of this system is then demonstrated for the lithiation/delithiation of silicon nanowires.


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