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

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.

Author(s):  
R.A. Ploc

The optic axis of an electron microscope objective lens is usually assumed to be straight and co-linear with the mechanical center. No reason exists to assume such perfection and, indeed, simple reasoning suggests that it is a complicated curve. A current centered objective lens with a non-linear optic axis when used in conjunction with other lenses, leads to serious image errors if the nature of the specimen is such as to produce intense inelastic scattering.


Author(s):  
J.L. Batstone ◽  
J.M. Gibson ◽  
Alice.E. White ◽  
K.T. Short

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.


Author(s):  
K. Ishizuka ◽  
K. Shirota

In a conventional alignment for high-resolution electron microscopy, the specimen point imaged at the viewing-screen center is made dispersion-free against a voltage fluctuation by adjusting the incident beam direction using the beam deflector. For high-resolution works the voltage-center alignment is important, since this alignment reduces the chromatic aberration. On the other hand, the coma-free alignment is also indispensable for high-resolution electron microscopy. This is because even a small misalignment of the incident beam direction induces wave aberrations and affects the appearance of high resolution electron micrographs. Some alignment procedures which cancel out the coma by changing the incident beam direction have been proposed. Most recently, the effect of a three-fold astigmatism on the coma-free alignment has been revealed, and new algorithms of coma-free alignment have been proposed.However, the voltage-center and the coma-free alignments as well as the current-center alignment in general do not coincide to each other because of beam deflection due to a leakage field within the objective lens, even if the main magnetic-field of the objective lens is rotationally symmetric. Since all the proposed procedures for the coma-free alignment also use the same beam deflector above the objective lens that is used for the voltage-center alignment, the coma-free alignment is only attained at the sacrifice of the voltage-center alignment.


Author(s):  
John L. Hutchison

Over the past five years or so the development of a new generation of high resolution electron microscopes operating routinely in the 300-400 kilovolt range has produced a dramatic increase in resolution, to around 1.6 Å for “structure resolution” and approaching 1.2 Å for information limits. With a large number of such instruments now in operation it is timely to assess their impact in the various areas of materials science where they are now being used. Are they falling short of the early expectations? Generally, the manufacturers’ claims regarding resolution are being met, but one unexpected factor which has emerged is the extreme sensitivity of these instruments to both floor-borne and acoustic vibrations. Successful measures to counteract these disturbances may require the use of special anti-vibration blocks, or even simple oil-filled dampers together with springs, with heavy curtaining around the microscope room to reduce noise levels. In assessing performance levels, optical diffraction analysis is becoming the accepted method, with rotational averaging useful for obtaining a good measure of information limits. It is worth noting here that microscope alignment becomes very critical for the highest resolution.In attempting an appraisal of the contributions of intermediate voltage HREMs to materials science we will outline a few of the areas where they are most widely used. These include semiconductors, oxides, and small metal particles, in addition to metals and minerals.


Author(s):  
Kiyomichi Nakai ◽  
Yusuke Isobe ◽  
Chiken Kinoshita ◽  
Kazutoshi Shinohara

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 3142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Yan ◽  
Zengbo Wang ◽  
Alan L. Parker ◽  
Yu-kun Lai ◽  
P. John Thomas ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
P. S. Ong ◽  
C. L. Gold

Transmission electron microscopes (TEM) have the capability of producing an electron spot (probe) with a diameter equal to its resolving power. Inclusion of the required scanning system and the appropriate detectors would therefore easily convert such an instrument into a high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM). Such an instrument becomes increasingly useful in the transmission mode of operation since it allows the use of samples which are considered too thick for conventional TEM. SEM accessories now available are all based on the use of the prefield of the objective lens to focus the beam. The lens is operated either as a symmetrical Ruska lens or its asymmetrical version. In these approaches, the condensor system of the microscope forms part of the reducing optics and the final spot size is usually larger than 20Å.


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