This paper will review the current state of understanding of interface structure and highlight some of the future needs and problems which must be overcome. The study of this subject can be separated into three different topics: 1) the fundamental electron microscopy aspects, 2) material-specific features of the study and 3) the characteristics of the particular interfaces. The two topics which are relevant to most studies are the choice of imaging techniques and sample preparation. The techniques used to study interfaces in the TEM include high-resolution imaging, conventional diffraction-contrast imaging, and phase-contrast imaging (Fresnel fringe images, diffuse scattering). The material studied affects not only the characteristics of the interfaces (through changes in bonding, etc.) but also the method used for sample preparation which may in turn have a significant affect on the resulting image. Finally, the actual nature and geometry of the interface must be considered. For example, it has become increasingly clear that the plane of the interface is particularly important whenever at least one of the adjoining grains is crystalline.A particularly productive approach to the study of interfaces is to combine different imaging techniques as illustrated in the study of grain boundaries in alumina. In this case, the conventional imaging approach showed that most grain boundaries in ion-thinned samples are grooved at the grain boundary although the extent of this grooving clearly depends on the crystallography of the surface. The use of diffuse scattering (from amorphous regions) gives invaluable information here since it can be used to confirm directly that surface grooving does occur and that the grooves can fill with amorphous material during sample preparation (see Fig. 1). Extensive use of image simulation has shown that, although information concerning the interface can be obtained from Fresnel-fringe images, the introduction of artifacts through sample preparation cannot be lightly ignored. The Fresnel-fringe simulation has been carried out using a commercial multislice program (TEMPAS) which was intended for simulation of high-resolution images.
