Instrumental Limitations and Current Prospects for Materials Research with the Latest Generation of High-Resolution Electron Microscopes

1984 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Materials Research ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Science Investigations

The macroscopic properties of most materials depend directly on their microstructure and its local variability at the atomic level. Recent trends in high resolution electron microscopes (HREMs) have led to resolving powers on this scale, which in turn has made these instruments invaluable to many materials science investigations. The purposes of this short review are firstly to outline some of the fundamentals of high resolution image formation and interpretation and then to summarise some of the latest instrumental developments. Some recent applications are briefly described to provide some appreciation of the wide range of materials currently being investigated with the HREM. The impact of this work should be apparent from reference to other papers in this volume as well as several recent reviews [1–3] and special conference proceedings [4–5]. The likelihood of further developments in instrumentation and the necessity for complementary information from other techniques are also briefly considered.

The Contribution of Intermediate-Voltage, High-Resolution Electron Microscopy In Materials Science: An Appraisal

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 478-479
Author(s):  
John L. Hutchison
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Optical Diffraction ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Extreme Sensitivity ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Small Metal Particles

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.

Recent trends in high-resolution electron microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 530-533
Author(s):  
David J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Planar Defects ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Electron Microscopes

The recent advent of high-resolution electron microscopes (HREMs) capable of resolving sub-2-Ångstrom detail on a routine basis has led to an enormous increase in the range of materials which can be usefully studied. Not only is it possible to resolve individual atomic columns in low index zones of most common metals but observations of semiconductors, for example, are no longer restricted to the traditional [110] zone, thereby making it feasible at last to obtain two-dimensional information about surfaces, interfaces and other planar defects. There is a worldwide upsurge of interest in the capabilities of these machines and the so-called medium-voltage (300-400kV) HREMs are selling rapidly despite their considerable expense. Our objective here is to provide a brief and selective overview of the latest applications and likely trends in HREM studies of materials - further details can be found elsewhere in these proceedings. No attempt is made to review instrumentation developments since they are being considered separately.

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.

Analysis of Interesting Materials in the Environmental SEM: You Put What in Your Microscope?

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 776-777
Author(s):  
John F. Mansfield
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Variable Pressure ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

The environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM™) and variable pressure electron microscope (VPSEM) have become accepted tools in the contemporary electron microscopy facility. Their flexibility and their ability to image almost any sample with little, and often no, specimen preparation has proved so attractive that each manufacturer of scanning electron microscopes now markets a low vacuum model.The University of Michigan Electron Microbeam Analysis Laboratory (EMAL) operates two variable pressure instruments, an ElectroScan E3 ESEM and a Hitachi S3200N VPSEM. The E3 ESEM was acquired in the early 1990s with funding from the Amoco Foundation and it has been used to examine an extremely wide variety of different materials. Since EMAL serves the entire university community, and offers support to neighboring institutions and local industry, the types of materials examined span a wide range. There are users from Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Biophysics, Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

A New ion Beam Based Etching/Coating System for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Light Microscopy (LM)

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 363-364
Author(s):  
R. Alani ◽  
R.J. Mitro ◽  
C.M. Tabatt ◽  
L. Malaszewski
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Coating System ◽  
Etching Technique ◽  
Specimen Handling ◽  
Conductive Films ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
And Performance

The design and performance of a new instrument, based on improved Penning ion guns [1] for etching and coating samples for SEM and LM in a single vacuum chamber, are described. The instrument is based on an existing high resolution ion beam coating system, which is capable of producing high quality ultra-thin and amorphous conductive films, required for present high resolution electron microscopes. [2]. The fact that in this system both etching and coating processes are combined in one chamber, the specimen handling and specimen contamination are minimized. Furthermore, the system eliminates the traditional multiple mounting /dismounting of samples to various holders for mechanical polishing, etching, coating and microscopy purposes. The specimen can stay with the same holder throughout the entire process, increasing the sample through-put. Moreover, the system offers an alternative method to the traditional “wet chemical etching,” technique with its well known problems.

Characterization of Grain Boundaries and Interfaces by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy

1989 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Krakow
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Ohmic Contacts ◽  
Dielectric Material ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Voltage Electron ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Interfacial Structures ◽  
Tilt Boundaries ◽  
Electron Microscopes

AbstractSeveral examples will be given of high resolution electron microscope images of both grain boundaries and interfaces and the methods which have been applied to understanding their atomic structure. Specific expitaxial interfacial structures considered are: Pd2Si/Si used for ohmic contacts, Al on Si overlayers and CaF2/Si where the CaF2, is an attractive possibility as a dielectric material. For the case of grain boundaries specific examples of both twist and tilt boundaries in Au will be given to show the imaging capability with the new generation of medium voltage electron microscopes.

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