Abstract
The principles underlying imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscope are described. Particular focus is made on bright-field and annular dark-field imaging modes to illustrate the difference between coherent and incoherent imaging. In the case of annular dark-field imaging, the effects of dynamical diffraction and thermal diffuse scattering are discussed. The extension to three-dimensional imaging by optical sectioning is included, with particular reference to resolution limits and the bounds of transfer.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
G. Ade, On the incoherent imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscope. Optik 49, 113–116 (1977)
L.J. Allen, S.D. Findlay, M.P. Oxley, C.J. Rossouw, Lattice-resolution contrast from a focused coherent electron probe. Part I. Ultramicroscopy 96, 47–63 (2003)
A. Amali, P. Rez, Theory of lattice resolution in high-angle annular dark-field images. Microsc. Microanal. 3, 28–46 (1997)
G. Behan, E.C. Cosgriff, A.I. Kirkland, P.D. Nellist, Three-dimensional imaging by optical sectioning in the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 367, 3825–3844 (2009)
A.Y. Borisevich, A.R. Lupini, S.J. Pennycook, Depth sectioning with the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103, 3044–3048 (2006)
N.D. Browning, M.F. Chisholm, S.J. Pennycook, Atomic-resolution chemical analysis using a scanning transmission electron microscope. Nature 366, 143–146 (1993)
E.C. Cosgriff, A.J. D’Alfonso, L.J. Allen, S.D. Findlay, A.I. Kirkland, P.D. Nellist, Three dimensional imaging in double aberration-corrected scanning confocal electron microscopy. Part I: Elastic scattering. Ultramicroscopy 108, 1558–1566 (2008)
J.M. Cowley, Image contrast in a transmission scanning electron microscope. Appl. Phys. Lett. 15, 58–59 (1969)
J.M. Cowley, Coherent interference in convergent-beam electron diffraction & shadow imaging. Ultramicroscopy 4, 435–450 (1979)
J.M. Cowley, Coherent interference effects in SIEM and CBED. Ultramicroscopy 7, 19–26 (1981)
A.V. Crewe, The physics of the high-resolution STEM. Rep. Progr. Phys. 43, 621–639 (1980)
A.V. Crewe, D.N. Eggenberger, J. Wall, L.M. Welter, Electron gun using a field emission source. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 39, 576–583 (1968)
A.V. Crewe, J. Wall, A scanning microscope with 5 Å resolution. J. Mol. Biol. 48, 375–393 (1970)
A.J. D’Alfonso, E.C. Cosgriff, S.D. Findlay, G. Behan, A.I. Kirkland, P.D. Nellist, L.J. Allen, Three dimensional imaging in double aberration-corrected scanning confocal electron microscopy. Part II: Inelastic scattering. Ultramicroscopy 108, 1567–1578 (2008)
N. de Jonge, R. Sougrat, B.M. Northan, S.J. Pennycook, Three-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy of biological specimens. Microsc. Microanal. 16, 54–63 (2010)
N.H. Dekkers, H. de Lang, Differential phase contrast in a STEM. Optik 41, 452–456 (1974)
C. Dinges, A. Berger, H. Rose, Simulation of TEM images considering phonon and electron excitations. Ultramicroscopy 60, 49–70 (1995)
A.M. Donald, A.J. Craven, A study of grain boundary segregation in Cu–Bi alloys using STEM. Philos. Mag. A 39, 1–11 (1979)
C. Dwyer, J. Etheridge, Scattering of Å-scale electron probes in silicon. Ultramicroscopy 96, 343–360 (2003)
H.M.L. Faulkner, J.M. Rodenburg, Moveable aperture lensless transmission microscopy: A novel phase retrieval algorithm. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 023903 (2004)
S.D. Findlay, L.J. Allen, M.P. Oxley, C.J. Rossouw, Lattice-resolution contrast from a focused coherent electron probe. Part II. Ultramicroscopy 96, 65–81 (2003)
B.R. Frieden, Optical transfer of the three-dimensional object. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 57, 36–41 (1967)
S.J. Haigh, H. Sawada, A.I. Kirkland, Atomic structure imaging beyond conventional resolution limits in the transmission electron microscope. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 126101 (2009)
P. Hartel, H. Rose, C. Dinges, Conditions and reasons for incoherent imaging in STEM. Ultramicroscopy 63, 93–114 (1996)
A. Howie, Image contrast and localised signal selection techniques. J. Microsc. 117, 11–23 (1979)
C.J. Humphreys, E.G. Bithell, in Electron Diffraction Techniques, vol. 1, ed. by J.M. Cowley (OUP, New York, NY, 1992), pp. 75–151
D.E. Jesson, S.J. Pennycook, Incoherent imaging of thin specimens using coherently scattered electrons. Proc. R. Soc. (Lond.) Ser. A 441, 261–281 (1993)
D.E. Jesson, S.J. Pennycook, Incoherent imaging of crystals using thermally scattered electrons. Proc. Roy. Soc. (Lond.) Ser. A 449, 273–293 (1995)
E.J. Kirkland, R.F. Loane, J. Silcox, Simulation of annular dark field STEM images using a modified multislice method. Ultramicroscopy 23, 77–96 (1987)
R.F. Loane, P. Xu, J. Silcox, Thermal vibrations in convergent-beam electron diffraction. Acta Crystallogr. A 47, 267–278 (1991)
R.F. Loane, P. Xu, J. Silcox, Incoherent imaging of zone axis crystals with ADF STEM. Ultramicroscopy 40, 121–138 (1992)
K. Mitsuishi, M. Takeguchi, H. Yasuda, K. Furuya, New scheme for calculation of annular dark-field STEM image including both elastically diffracted and TDS wave. J. Electron Microsc. 50, 157–162 (2001)
D.A. Muller, B. Edwards, E.J. Kirkland, J. Silcox, Simulation of thermal diffuse scattering including a detailed phonon dispersion curve. Ultramicroscopy 86, 371–380 (2001)
P.D. Nellist, G. Behan, A.I. Kirkland, C.J.D. Hetherington, Confocal operation of a transmission electron microscope with two aberration correctors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 124105 (2006)
P.D. Nellist, B.C. McCallum, J.M. Rodenburg, Resolution beyond the ‘information limit’ in transmission electron microscopy. Nature 374, 630–632 (1995)
P.D. Nellist, S.J. Pennycook, Accurate structure determination from image reconstruction in ADF STEM. J. Microsc. 190, 159–170 (1998)
P.D. Nellist, S.J. Pennycook, Subangstrom resolution by underfocussed incoherent transmission electron microscopy. Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 4156–4159 (1998)
P.D. Nellist, S.J. Pennycook, Incoherent imaging using dynamically scattered coherent electrons. Ultramicroscopy 78, 111–124 (1999)
P.D. Nellist, S.J. Pennycook, The principles and interpretation of annular dark-field Z-contrast imaging. Adv. Imag. Electron Phys. 113, 148–203 (2000)
P.D. Nellist, J.M. Rodenburg, Beyond the conventional information limit: the relevant coherence function. Ultramicroscopy 54, 61–74 (1994)
S.J. Pennycook, Z-contrast STEM for materials science. Ultramicroscopy 30, 58–69 (1989)
S.J. Pennycook, D.E. Jesson, High-resolution incoherent imaging of crystals. Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 938–941 (1990)
D.D. Perovic, C.J. Rossouw, A. Howie, Imaging elastic strain in high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 52, 353–359 (1993)
Lord Rayleigh, On the theory of optical images with special reference to the microscope. Philos. Mag. 42(5), 167–195 (1896)
J.M. Rodenburg, R.H.T. Bates, The theory of super-resolution electron microscopy via Wigner-distribution deconvolution. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 339, 521–553 (1992)
H. Rose, Phase contrast in scanning transmission electron microscopy. Optik 39, 416–436 (1974)
J.C.H. Spence, Experimental High-Resolution Electron Microscopy (OUP, New York, NY, 1988)
J.C.H. Spence, Convergent-beam nanodiffraction, in-line holography and coherent shadow imaging. Optik 92, 57–68 (1992)
J.C.H. Spence, J.M. Cowley, Lattice imaging in STEM. Optik 50, 129–142 (1978)
M.M.J. Treacy, J.M. Gibson, Atomic contrast transfer in annular dark-field images. J. Microsc. 180, 2–11 (1995)
M.M.J. Treacy, A. Howie, C.J. Wilson, Z contrast imaging of platinum and palladium catalysts. Philos. Mag. A 38, 569–585 (1978)
K. Van Benthem, A.R. Lupini, M. Kim, H.S. Baik, S. Doh, J.-H. Lee, M.P. Oxley, S.D. Findlay, L.J. Allen, J.T. Luck, S.J. Pennycook, Three-dimensional imaging of individual hafnium atoms inside a semiconductor device. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 034104 (2005)
P. Wang, G. Behan, M. Takeguchi, A. Hashimoto, K. Mitsuishi, M. Shimojo, A.I. Kirkland, P.D. Nellist, Nanoscale energy-filtered scanning confocal electron microscopy using a double-aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 200801 (2010)
Z. Yu, D.A. Muller, J. Silcox, Study of strain fields at a-Si/c-Si interface. J. Appl. Phys. 95, 3362–3371 (2004)
E. Zeitler, M.G.R. Thomson, Scanning transmission electron microscopy. Optik 31, 258–280 and 359–366 (1970)
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the many colleagues and collaborators that have been involved in furthering our understanding of STEM imaging. P.D.N. acknowledges support from the Leverhulme Trust (F/08749/B), Intel Ireland, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/F048009/1).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nellist, P.D. (2011). The Principles of STEM Imaging. In: Pennycook, S., Nellist, P. (eds) Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7200-2_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7200-2_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-7199-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-7200-2
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)