Advanced computing for ultra-high-resolution in TEM

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 36-37
Author(s):  
A. Thust ◽  
W. M. J. Coene
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Extra Information ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Advanced Computing ◽  
Direct Use ◽  
Delocalization Effects ◽  
Conventional Medium

1. Introduction Attempts to push the resolution of electron microscopes towards 1 Å follow presently two different strategies. One approach takes advantage of the short electron wavelength provided by high-voltage instruments (E > 1 MeV) resulting in an "interpretable" point resolution close to the information limit. An alternative strategy is based on the idea to extend the information limit of conventional medium-voltage instruments (E ≈ 200 - 300 keV) by taking advantage of the excellent coherence properties of field-emission guns (FEG). In the latter approach, however, the gain of extra information beyond the "interpretable" point resolution is of no direct use for structure interpretation. Generally, the interpretability of single highresolution images suffers from a loss of phase information and from contrast-delocalization effects, the latter being caused by the spherical aberration and the defocussing of the objective lens. These derealization effects become drastically apparent when aiming at the ultra-high resolution regime (d < 1.5 Å) which is routinely accessible with medium-voltage FEG-TEMs.

State of the development of multipole correctors for a probe-forming system and a high-resolution 200kV TEM

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 596-597
Author(s):  
M. Haider ◽  
J. Zach
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Probe Diameter ◽  
Physical Limit ◽  
Low Energies ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Electron Microscopes

The development of modern high resolution electron microscopes has shown the emergence of new modern microscopes which are easy to operate and, more importantly, with which one can attain high resolution on a routine basis. However, the physical limit set by the inherent aberrations of electron lenses could not be overcome by simply optimising the geometry of the pole pieces. The only direct way to get rid of the aberrations of the round lenses is to use a corrector with which the resolution limiting aberrations can be compensated.For the observation of uncoated biological surfaces we started a project to develop a Low Voltage Scanning Electron Microscope (LVSEM). The main problem with using low energies is to design electron optics with which one can achieve high resolution in the range of 1 nm at energies of 1 keV and below. Hence, the two main axial aberrations of such a probe forming system: the chromatic and the spherical aberration Cc and C3, respectively, have to be considered as the limiting factors of the probe diameter. Therefore, the compensation of these two aberrations is the best choice as one does not want to run into other limitations if, for example, the geometry of the objective lens is scaled down in order to obtain small aberration coefficients.

An Automated Procedure for On-Line Measurement of Spherical-Aberration Coefficient of High-Resolution Electron Microscopes

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 420-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pan ◽  
O.L. Krivanek
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Amorphous Material ◽  
Ccd Camera ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Line Measurement ◽  
On Line ◽  
Electron Microscopes

Spherical aberration coefficient (Cs) of the objective lens and electron wavelength ultimately determine the point-resolution of a high resolution electron microscope (HREM). Accurate measurement of Cs has become increasingly critical for reconstruction of structural information well beyond the point-resolution by means of either electron holography or focal series methods with a field emission gun (FEG) microscope. There are two main existing procedures for Cs measurement, i.e. (1) using diffractograms from a thin amorphous material, and (2) using beam-tilt-induced image displacement (BID). Since these procedures generally involve intensive data measurement, it is highly desirable to have an automated procedure. With an image pickup system such as CCD camera and appropriate software, we have developed an automated procedure for on-line Cs measurement. The procedure is based on analyzing diffractograms from a thin amorphous material such as amorphous carbon or germanium. The use of CCD camera allows for on-line measurement, and also for magnification to be calibrated with high precision, which is critical in Cs measurement.

Design of a new objective lens for an HB-501A STEM

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 416-417
Author(s):  
Earl J. Kirkland ◽  
Robert J. Keyse
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Specimen Holder ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Annular Dark Field ◽  
High Resolution Microscopy

An ultra-high resolution pole piece with a coefficient of spherical aberration Cs=0.7mm. was previously designed for a Vacuum Generators HB-501A Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM). This lens was used to produce bright field (BF) and annular dark field (ADF) images of (111) silicon with a lattice spacing of 1.92 Å. In this microscope the specimen must be loaded into the lens through the top bore (or exit bore, electrons traveling from the bottom to the top). Thus the top bore must be rather large to accommodate the specimen holder. Unfortunately, a large bore is not ideal for producing low aberrations. The old lens was thus highly asymmetrical, with an upper bore of 8.0mm. Even with this large upper bore it has not been possible to produce a tilting stage, which hampers high resolution microscopy.

Atomic structure imaging of the Si/SiO2 interface with high-resolution electron microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 390-391
Author(s):  
J.L. Batstone ◽  
J.M. Gibson ◽  
Alice.E. White ◽  
K.T. Short
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Atomic Structure ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Voltage Electron ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Structural Image ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Point To Point

High resolution electron microscopy (HREM) is a powerful tool for the determination of interface atomic structure. With the previous generation of HREM's of point-to-point resolution (rpp) >2.5Å, imaging of semiconductors in only <110> directions was possible. Useful imaging of other important zone axes became available with the advent of high voltage, high resolution microscopes with rpp <1.8Å, leading to a study of the NiSi2 interface. More recently, it was shown that images in <100>, <111> and <112> directions are easily obtainable from Si in the new medium voltage electron microscopes. We report here the examination of the important Si/Si02 interface with the use of a JEOL 4000EX HREM with rpp <1.8Å, in a <100> orientation. This represents a true structural image of this interface.

Exit-surface wave reconstruction using a focal series

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 988-989
Author(s):  
W.J. de Ruijter ◽  
M.R. McCartney ◽  
David J. Smith ◽  
J.K. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Surface Wave ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Geometric Distortion ◽  
Variation Method ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Immediate Reconstruction ◽  
Exit Surface ◽  
Electron Microscopes

Further advances in resolution enhancement of transmission electron microscopes can be expected from digital processing of image data recorded with slow-scan CCD cameras. Image recording with these new cameras is essential because of their high sensitivity, extreme linearity and negligible geometric distortion. Furthermore, digital image acquisition allows for on-line processing which yields virtually immediate reconstruction results. At present, the most promising techniques for exit-surface wave reconstruction are electron holography and the recently proposed focal variation method. The latter method is based on image processing applied to a series of images recorded at equally spaced defocus.Exit-surface wave reconstruction using the focal variation method as proposed by Van Dyck and Op de Beeck proceeds in two stages. First, the complex image wave is retrieved by data extraction from a parabola situated in three-dimensional Fourier space. Then the objective lens spherical aberration, astigmatism and defocus are corrected by simply dividing the image wave by the wave aberration function calculated with the appropriate objective lens aberration coefficients which yields the exit-surface wave.

Towards 1-Ångstrom-resolution STEM

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 996-997
Author(s):  
H.S. von Harrach ◽  
D.E. Jesson ◽  
S.J. Pennycook
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Field Emission ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Image Resolution ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Annular Dark Field ◽  
First Results

Phase contrast TEM has been the leading technique for high resolution imaging of materials for many years, whilst STEM has been the principal method for high-resolution microanalysis. However, it was demonstrated many years ago that low angle dark-field STEM imaging is a priori capable of almost 50% higher point resolution than coherent bright-field imaging (i.e. phase contrast TEM or STEM). This advantage was not exploited until Pennycook developed the high-angle annular dark-field (ADF) technique which can provide an incoherent image showing both high image resolution and atomic number contrast.This paper describes the design and first results of a 300kV field-emission STEM (VG Microscopes HB603U) which has improved ADF STEM image resolution towards the 1 angstrom target. The instrument uses a cold field-emission gun, generating a 300 kV beam of up to 1 μA from an 11-stage accelerator. The beam is focussed on to the specimen by two condensers and a condenser-objective lens with a spherical aberration coefficient of 1.0 mm.

Ultra-high resolution SEMI-in-lens type FE-SEM, JSM-6320F, with strong magnetic-field lens with built-in secondary-electron detector

1994 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 484-485
Author(s):  
T. Miyokawa ◽  
H. Kazumori ◽  
S. Nakagawa ◽  
C. Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Secondary Electron ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Incident Beam ◽  
Chromatic Aberration ◽  
Magnetic Flux Density ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Electron Detector ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Working Distance

We have developed a strongly excited objective lens with a built-in secondary electron detector to provide ultra-high resolution images with high quality at low to medium accelerating voltages. The JSM-6320F is a scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with this lens and an incident beam divergence angle control lens (ACL).The objective lens is so strongly excited as to have peak axial Magnetic flux density near the specimen surface (Fig. 1). Since the speciien is located below the objective lens, a large speciien can be accomodated. The working distance (WD) with respect to the accelerating voltage is limited due to the magnetic saturation of the lens (Fig.2). The aberrations of this lens are much smaller than those of a conventional one. The spherical aberration coefficient (Cs) is approximately 1/20 and the chromatic aberration coefficient (Cc) is 1/10. for accelerating voltages below 5kV. At the medium range of accelerating voltages (5∼15kV). Cs is 1/10 and Cc is 1/7. Typical values are Cs-1.lmm. Cc=l. 5mm at WD=2mm. and Cs=3.lmm. Cc=2.9 mm at WD=5mm. This makes the lens ideal for taking ultra-high resolution images at low to medium accelerating voltages.

Characterization of Modulated Structure Through Structure Images and their Computer Simulation

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-71
Author(s):  
Kiyomichi Nakai ◽  
Yusuke Isobe ◽  
Chiken Kinoshita ◽  
Kazutoshi Shinohara
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Basic Mechanism ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Specimen Thickness ◽  
Transmitted Beam ◽  
Modulated Structure ◽  
Resolution Electron

Induced spinodal decomposition under electron irradiation in a Ni-Au alloy has been investigated with respect to its basic mechanism and confirmed to be caused by the relaxation of coherent strain associated with modulated structure. Modulation of white-dots on structure images of modulated structure due to high-resolution electron microscopy is reduced with irradiation. In this paper the atom arrangement of the modulated structure is confirmed with computer simulation on the structure images, and the relaxation of the coherent strain is concluded to be due to the reduction of phase-modulation.Structure images of three-dimensional modulated structure along <100> were taken with the JEM-4000EX high-resolution electron microscope at the HVEM Laboratory, Kyushu University. The transmitted beam and four 200 reflections with their satellites from the modulated structure in an fee Ni-30.0at%Au alloy under illumination of 400keV electrons were used for the structure images under a condition of the spherical aberration constant of the objective lens, Cs = 1mm, the divergence of the beam, α = 3 × 10-4 rad, underfocus, Δf ≃ -50nm and specimen thickness, t ≃ 15nm. The CIHRTEM code was used for the simulation of the structure image.

scholarly journals Alpha-Null Defocus: an Optimum Defocus Condition with Relevance for Focal-Series Reconstruction

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 916-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. O’Keefe
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Microscope Objective ◽  
Reconstruction Methods ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Microscope Objective Lens

Two optimum defocus conditions are well known to users of high-resolution transmission electron microscopes. Scherzer defocus is useful in high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) because it produces an image of the specimen “projected potential” to the resolution of the microscope. Lichte defocus is useful in electron holography because it optimizes sampling in frequency-space by minimizing the slope of the microscope objective lens phase change out to the highest spatial frequency in the hologram, consequently minimizing dispersion. For focal-series reconstruction, the requirement to maximize transfer into the image of high-frequency diffracted beam amplitudes leads to a third optimum defocus condition.Image reconstruction methods allow the achievement of super-resolution - resolution beyond the native (Scherzer) resolution of the microscope - by correction of the phase changes introduced by the microscope objective lens. One such method is focal-series reconstruction, in which diffracted-beam information obtained at several different focus values is combined. to produce a valid super-resolution result, it is necessary to ensure that every spatial frequency is represented appropriately. Suitable choice of an optimum defocus produces optimum transfer of diffracted-beam amplitudes at any chosen spatial frequency.

The ORNL Aberration-Corrected STEM/TEM Project

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 906-907
Author(s):  
L. F. Allard ◽  
E. Voelkl ◽  
D. A. Blom ◽  
T. A. Nolan ◽  
F. Kahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Electron Gun ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Resolution Limit ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Transfer Characteristics ◽  
Dark Field Imaging ◽  
Electron Microscopes

Field emission electron microscopes operating at 200kV or 300kV and incorporating aberration correctors for either the incident electron probe or for the primary aberrations of the objective lens (OL) are currently under development for several laboratories in the world. OL-corrected instruments require monochromators for the electron beam, built into the electron gun prior to the accelerating stages, in order to optimize the contrast transfer characteristics of the objective lens to push the instrumental resolution limit to well beyond 0.1nm. This will allow the point resolution limit as controlled by the correction of spherical aberration Cs to potentially extend to the instrumental limit of better than 0.1nm. Figure 1 shows the contrast transfer characteristics of a Cs-corrected 200kV TEM, both without and with a beam monochromator.Dedicated STEM instruments such as the 300kV VG-603 and lOOkV VG-501 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and other VG instruments at Cornell University and IBM Co. are also being adapted (by Nion Co., Kirkland, WA) to incorporate aberration correctors for the incident probe. The aim is to improve the resolution of the VG-603 instrument in dark-field imaging mode, for example, from 0.13nm to 0.05nm. in another ORNL project, the High Temperature Materials Laboratory has contracted JEOL Ltd. to construct a STEM-TEM instrument with a probe corrector designed and built by CEOS GmbH (Heidelberg, Germany).

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