Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy
Understanding nanostructures down to the atomic level is the key to optimizing the design of advanced materials with revolutionary novel properties. This requires characterization methods capable of quantifying the three-dimensional (3D) atomic structure with the highest possible precision. A succes...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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American Physical Society
2019
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| _version_ | 1826272655954673664 |
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| author | Van Aert, S De Backer, A Jones, L Martinez, G Béché, A Nellist, P |
| author_facet | Van Aert, S De Backer, A Jones, L Martinez, G Béché, A Nellist, P |
| author_sort | Van Aert, S |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Understanding nanostructures down to the atomic level is the key to optimizing the design of advanced materials with revolutionary novel properties. This requires characterization methods capable of quantifying the three-dimensional (3D) atomic structure with the highest possible precision. A successful approach to reach this goal is to count the number of atoms in each atomic column from 2D annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. To count atoms with single atom sensitivity, a minimum electron dose has been shown to be necessary, while on the other hand beam damage, induced by the high energy electrons, puts a limit on the tolerable dose. An important challenge is therefore to develop experimental strategies to optimize the electron dose by balancing atom-counting fidelity vs the risk of knock-on damage. To achieve this goal, a statistical framework combined with physics-based modeling of the dose-dependent processes is here proposed and experimentally verified. This model enables an investigator to theoretically predict, in advance of an experimental measurement, the optimal electron dose resulting in an unambiguous quantification of nanostructures in their native state with the highest attainable precision. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:16:01Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:536b9666-6768-4b06-a931-72c0f217bf67 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:16:01Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:536b9666-6768-4b06-a931-72c0f217bf672022-03-26T16:31:34ZControl of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopyJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:536b9666-6768-4b06-a931-72c0f217bf67Symplectic Elements at OxfordAmerican Physical Society2019Van Aert, SDe Backer, AJones, LMartinez, GBéché, ANellist, PUnderstanding nanostructures down to the atomic level is the key to optimizing the design of advanced materials with revolutionary novel properties. This requires characterization methods capable of quantifying the three-dimensional (3D) atomic structure with the highest possible precision. A successful approach to reach this goal is to count the number of atoms in each atomic column from 2D annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. To count atoms with single atom sensitivity, a minimum electron dose has been shown to be necessary, while on the other hand beam damage, induced by the high energy electrons, puts a limit on the tolerable dose. An important challenge is therefore to develop experimental strategies to optimize the electron dose by balancing atom-counting fidelity vs the risk of knock-on damage. To achieve this goal, a statistical framework combined with physics-based modeling of the dose-dependent processes is here proposed and experimentally verified. This model enables an investigator to theoretically predict, in advance of an experimental measurement, the optimal electron dose resulting in an unambiguous quantification of nanostructures in their native state with the highest attainable precision. |
| spellingShingle | Van Aert, S De Backer, A Jones, L Martinez, G Béché, A Nellist, P Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title | Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title_full | Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title_fullStr | Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title_short | Control of knock-on damage for 3D atomic scale quantification of nanostructures: Making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
| title_sort | control of knock on damage for 3d atomic scale quantification of nanostructures making every electron count in scanning transmission electron microscopy |
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