Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy via Detection of Forward-Scattered Helium Ions with a Microchannel Plate

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor J. Woehl ◽  
Ryan M. White ◽  
Robert R. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Magnetite Nanoparticles ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Microchannel Plate ◽  
Sensitive Detector ◽  
Ion Imaging ◽  
Helium Ions ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Atomic Number Contrast ◽  
Ion Microscopy

AbstractA microchannel plate was used as an ion sensitive detector in a commercial helium ion microscope (HIM) for dark-field transmission imaging of nanomaterials, i.e. scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM). In contrast to previous transmission HIM approaches that used secondary electron conversion holders, our new approach detects forward-scattered helium ions on a dedicated annular shaped ion sensitive detector. Minimum collection angles between 125 mrad and 325 mrad were obtained by varying the distance of the sample from the microchannel plate detector during imaging. Monte Carlo simulations were used to predict detector angular ranges at which dark-field images with atomic number contrast could be obtained. We demonstrate atomic number contrast imagingviascanning transmission ion imaging of silica-coated gold nanoparticles and magnetite nanoparticles. Although the resolution of STIM is known to be degraded by beam broadening in the substrate, we imaged magnetite nanoparticles with high contrast on a relatively thick silicon nitride substrate. We expect this new approach to annular dark-field STIM will open avenues for more quantitative ion imaging techniques and advance fundamental understanding of underlying ion scattering mechanisms leading to image formation.

scholarly journals Scanning transmission helium ion microscopy on carbon nanomembranes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 222-231
Author(s):  
Daniel Emmrich ◽  
Annalena Wolff ◽  
Nikolaus Meyerbröker ◽  
Jörg K N Lindner ◽  
André Beyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Acceptance Angle ◽  
Carbon Membranes ◽  
Thin Carbon ◽  
Helium Ion ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Contrast Mechanism ◽  
Ion Microscopy ◽  
And Performance

A dark-field scanning transmission ion microscopy detector was designed for the helium ion microscope. The detection principle is based on a secondary electron conversion holder with an exchangeable aperture strip allowing its acceptance angle to be tuned from 3 to 98 mrad. The contrast mechanism and performance were investigated using freestanding nanometer-thin carbon membranes. The results demonstrate that the detector can be optimized either for most efficient signal collection or for maximum image contrast. The designed setup allows for the imaging of thin low-density materials that otherwise provide little signal or contrast and for a clear end-point detection in the fabrication of nanopores. In addition, the detector is able to determine the thickness of membranes with sub-nanometer precision by quantitatively evaluating the image signal and comparing the results with Monte Carlo simulations. The thickness determined by the dark-field transmission detector is compared to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy measurements.

Enhancement of Contrast in the CEM and STEM Using Bumpy Specimens and Employing the “Dappled Field” Mode of Operation

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 552-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gandolfi ◽  
J. Reiffel
Keyword(s):  
Operating Mode ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Field Mode ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Mode Of Operation ◽  
Scanning Transmission

Calculations have been performed on the contrast obtainable, using the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope, in the observation of thick specimens. Recent research indicates a revival of an earlier interest in the observation of thin specimens with the view of comparing the attainable contrast using both types of specimens.Potential for biological applications of scanning transmission electron microscopy has led to a proliferation of the literature concerning specimen preparation methods and the controversy over “to stain or not to stain” in combination with the use of the dark field operating mode and the same choice of technique using bright field mode of operation has not yet been resolved.

First H+ Charge-Exchange Images in the Stim.

1976 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 504-505
Author(s):  
Wm. H. Escovitz ◽  
T. R. Fox ◽  
R. Levi-Setti
Keyword(s):  
Charge Exchange ◽  
Neutral Component ◽  
Channel Electron Multiplier ◽  
Electron Multiplier ◽  
Neutral Particles ◽  
Charged Beam ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Contrast Mechanism ◽  
Ion Microscopy ◽  
Beam Component

Charge exchange, the neutralization of ions by electron capture as the ions traverse matter, is a well-known phenomenon of atomic physics which is relevant to ion microscopy. In conventional transmission ion microscopes, the neutral component of the beam after it emerges from the specimen cannot be focused. The scanning transmission ion microscope (STIM) enables the detection of this signal to make images. Experiments with a low-resolution 55 kV STIM indicate that the charge-exchange signal provides a new contrast mechanism to detect extremely small amounts of matter. In an early version of charge-exchange detection (fig. 1), a permanent magnet installed between the specimen and the detector (a channel electron multiplier) sweeps the charged beam component away from the detector and allows only the neutrals to reach it. When the magnet is removed, both charged and neutral particles reach the detector.

Resolution in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

1972 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 454-455
Author(s):  
M. G. R. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Spherical Aberration ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission

The variation of contrast and signal to noise ratio with change in detector solid angle in the high resolution scanning transmission electron microscope was discussed in an earlier paper. In that paper the conclusions were that the most favourable conditions for the imaging of isolated single heavy atoms were, using the notation in figure 1, either bright field phase contrast with β0⋍0.5 α0, or dark field with an annular detector subtending an angle between ao and effectively π/2.The microscope is represented simply by the model illustrated in figure 1, and the objective lens is characterised by its coefficient of spherical aberration Cs. All the results for the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) may with care be applied to the Conventional Electron Microscope (CEM). The object atom is represented as detailed in reference 2, except that ϕ(θ) is taken to be the constant ϕ(0) to simplify the integration. This is reasonable for θ ≤ 0.1 θ0, where 60 is the screening angle.

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 resolution Z-contrast imaging of bulk crystal surfaces in Scanning Reflection Electron Microscopy

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-415
Author(s):  
Z. L. Wang ◽  
J. Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Elastic Scattering ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Crystal Lattices ◽  
Small Probe ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Annular Dark Field ◽  
Image Position ◽  
Z Contrast

The success of obtaining atomic-number-sensitive (Z-contrast) images in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has shown the feasibility of imaging composition changes at the atomic level. This type of image is formed by collecting the electrons scattered through large angles when a small probe scans across the specimen. The image contrast is determined by two scattering processes. One is the high angle elastic scattering from the nuclear sites,where ϕNe is the electron probe function centered at bp = (Xp, yp) after penetrating through the crystal; F denotes a Fourier transform operation; D is the detection function of the annular-dark-field (ADF) detector in reciprocal space u. The other process is thermal diffuse scattering (TDS), which is more important than the elastic contribution for specimens thicker than about 10 nm, and thus dominates the Z-contrast image. The TDS is an average “elastic” scattering of the electrons from crystal lattices of different thermal vibrational configurations,

STEM measurement of subcellular water distributions

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 568-569
Author(s):  
R.D. Leapman ◽  
S.Q. Sun ◽  
S-L. Shi ◽  
R.A. Buchanan ◽  
S.B. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Internal Standard ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Bulk Water ◽  
Inelastic Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Annular Dark Field

Recent advances in rapid-freezing and cryosectioning techniques coupled with use of the quantitative signals available in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) can provide us with new methods for determining the water distributions of subcellular compartments. The water content is an important physiological quantity that reflects how fluid and electrolytes are regulated in the cell; it is also required to convert dry weight concentrations of ions obtained from x-ray microanalysis into the more relevant molar ionic concentrations. Here we compare the information about water concentrations from both elastic (annular dark-field) and inelastic (electron energy loss) scattering measurements.In order to utilize the elastic signal it is first necessary to increase contrast by removing the water from the cryosection. After dehydration the tissue can be digitally imaged under low-dose conditions, in the same way that STEM mass mapping of macromolecules is performed. The resulting pixel intensities are then converted into dry mass fractions by using an internal standard, e.g., the mean intensity of the whole image may be taken as representative of the bulk water content of the tissue.

Local Lattice Strain Measurement Using Geometric Phase Analysis of Dark Field Images from Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayhoon Chung ◽  
Guoda Lian ◽  
Lew Rabenberg
Keyword(s):  
Phase Analysis ◽  
Geometric Phase ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Local Strain ◽  
Strain Engineering ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Geometric Phase Analysis ◽  
Scanning Transmission

Abstract Since strain engineering plays a key role in semiconductor technology development, a reliable and reproducible technique to measure local strain in devices is necessary for process development and failure analysis. In this paper, geometric phase analysis of high angle annular dark field - scanning transmission electron microscope images is presented as an effective technique to measure local strains in the current node of Si based transistors.

Intergrowth of niobium tungsten oxides of the tetragonal tungsten bronze type

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 913-919
Author(s):  
Frank Krumeich
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Tungsten Bronze ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze ◽  
Tungsten Oxides ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission

AbstractSince the 1970s, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is well established as the most appropriate method to explore the structural complexity of niobium tungsten oxides. Today, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) represents an important alternative for performing the structural characterization of such oxides. STEM images recorded with a high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) detector provide not only information about the cation positions but also about the distribution of niobium and tungsten as the intensity is directly correlated to the local scattering potential. The applicability of this method is demonstrated here for the characterization of the real structure of Nb7W10O47.5. This sample contains well-ordered domains of Nb8W9O47 and Nb4W7O31 besides little ordered areas according to HRTEM results. Structural models for Nb4W7O31 and twinning occurring in this phase have been derived from the interpretation of HAADF-STEM images. A remarkable grain boundary between well-ordered domains of Nb4W7O31 and Nb8W9O47 has been found that contains one-dimensionally periodic features. Furthermore, short-range order observed in less ordered areas could be attributed to an intimate intergrowth of small sections of different tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) based structures.

Dark-Field X-Ray Microscopy of Immunogold-Labeled Cells

1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry N. Chapman ◽  
Jenny Fu ◽  
Chris Jacobsen ◽  
Shawn Williams
Keyword(s):  
Colloidal Gold ◽  
Dark Field Image ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Specific Antigens ◽  
Genetic Sequences ◽  
Novel Method

The methods of immunolabeling make visible the presence of specific antigens, proteins, genetic sequences, or functions of a cell. In this paper we present examples of imaging immunolabels in a scanning transmission x-ray microscope using the novel method of dark-field contrast. Colloidal gold, or silver-enhanced colloidal gold, is used as a label, which strongly scatters x-rays. This leads to a high-contrast dark-field image of the label and reduced radiation dose to the specimen. The x-ray images are compared with electron micrographs of the same labeled, unsectioned, whole cell. It is verified that the dark-field x-ray signal is primarily due to the label and the bright-field x-ray signal, showing absorption due to carbon, is largely unaffected by the label. The label can be well visualized even when it is embedded in or laying behind dense material, such as the cell nucleus. The resolution of the images is measured to be 60 nm, without the need for computer processing. This figure includes the x-ray microscope resolution and the accuracy of the label positioning. The technique should be particularly useful for the study of relatively thick (up to 10 μm), wet, or frozen hydrated specimens.

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