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Peters JJP, Reed BW, Jimbo Y, Noguchi K, Müller KH, Porter A, Masiel DJ, Jones L. Event-responsive scanning transmission electron microscopy. Science 2024; 385:549-553. [PMID: 39088619 DOI: 10.1126/science.ado8579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
An ever-present limitation of transmission electron microscopy is the damage caused by high-energy electrons interacting with any sample. By reconsidering the fundamentals of imaging, we demonstrate an event-responsive approach to electron microscopy that delivers more information about the sample for a given beam current. Measuring the time to achieve an electron count threshold rather than waiting a predefined constant time improves the information obtained per electron. The microscope was made to respond to these events by blanking the beam, thus reducing the overall dose required. This approach automatically apportions dose to achieve a given signal-to-noise ratio in each pixel, eliminating excess dose that is associated with diminishing returns of information. We demonstrate the wide applicability of our approach to beam-sensitive materials by imaging biological tissue and zeolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J P Peters
- Advanced Microscopy Laboratory, CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- turboTEM Ltd., Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Yu Jimbo
- JEOL Ltd. Akishima, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Karin H Müller
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Porter
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Lewys Jones
- Advanced Microscopy Laboratory, CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- turboTEM Ltd., Dublin, Ireland
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2
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Pelz PM, Griffin SM, Stonemeyer S, Popple D, DeVyldere H, Ercius P, Zettl A, Scott MC, Ophus C. Solving complex nanostructures with ptychographic atomic electron tomography. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7906. [PMID: 38036516 PMCID: PMC10689721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is essential for determining atomic scale structures in structural biology and materials science. In structural biology, three-dimensional structures of proteins are routinely determined from thousands of identical particles using phase-contrast TEM. In materials science, three-dimensional atomic structures of complex nanomaterials have been determined using atomic electron tomography (AET). However, neither of these methods can determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of heterogeneous nanomaterials containing light elements. Here, we perform ptychographic electron tomography from 34.5 million diffraction patterns to reconstruct an atomic resolution tilt series of a double wall-carbon nanotube (DW-CNT) encapsulating a complex ZrTe sandwich structure. Class averaging the resulting tilt series images and subpixel localization of the atomic peaks reveals a Zr11Te50 structure containing a previously unobserved ZrTe2 phase in the core. The experimental realization of atomic resolution ptychographic electron tomography will allow for the structural determination of a wide range of beam-sensitive nanomaterials containing light elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp M Pelz
- Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research (IMN) & Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Friedrich Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, IZNF, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Sinéad M Griffin
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Scott Stonemeyer
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Derek Popple
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Hannah DeVyldere
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Peter Ercius
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alex Zettl
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mary C Scott
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Colin Ophus
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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Ooe K, Seki T, Yoshida K, Kohno Y, Ikuhara Y, Shibata N. Direct imaging of local atomic structures in zeolite using optimum bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6865. [PMID: 37531431 PMCID: PMC10396294 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Zeolites are used in industries as catalysts, ion exchangers, and molecular sieves because of their unique porous atomic structures. However, direct observation of zeolitic local atomic structures via electron microscopy is difficult owing to low electron irradiation resistance. Subsequently, their fundamental structure-property relationships remain unclear. A low-electron-dose imaging technique, optimum bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (OBF STEM), has recently been developed. It reconstructs images with a high signal-to-noise ratio and a dose efficiency approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional methods. Here, we performed low-dose atomic-resolution OBF STEM observations of two types of zeolite, effectively visualizing all atomic sites in their frameworks. In addition, we visualized the complex local atomic structure of the twin boundaries in a faujasite (FAU)-type zeolite and Na+ ions with low occupancy in eight-membered rings in a Na-Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite. The results of this study facilitate the characterization of local atomic structures in many electron beam-sensitive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousuke Ooe
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Mutsuno 2-4-1, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
| | - Takehito Seki
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Kaname Yoshida
- Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Mutsuno 2-4-1, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
| | - Yuji Kohno
- JEOL Ltd., 1-2-3 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ikuhara
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Mutsuno 2-4-1, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
| | - Naoya Shibata
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Mutsuno 2-4-1, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
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Sadri A, Findlay SD. Determining the Projected Crystal Structure from Four-dimensional Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy via the Scattering Matrix. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:967-982. [PMID: 37749695 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
We present a gradient-descent-based approach to determining the projected electrostatic potential from four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements of a periodic, crystalline material even when dynamical scattering occurs. The method solves for the scattering matrix as an intermediate step, but overcomes the so-called truncation problem that limited previous scattering-matrix-based projected structure determination methods. Gradient descent is made efficient by using analytic expressions for the gradients. Through simulated case studies, we show that iteratively improving the scattering matrix determination can significantly improve the accuracy of the projected structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Sadri
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Direct observation of Cu in high-silica chabazite zeolite by electron ptychography using Wigner distribution deconvolution. Sci Rep 2023; 13:316. [PMID: 36609476 PMCID: PMC9822938 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27452-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct observation of Cu in Cu-chabazite (CHA) zeolite has been achieved by electron ptychography using the Wigner distribution deconvolution. The imaging properties of ptychographically reconstructed images were evaluated by comparing the intensities of six-membered-ring columns of the zeolite with and without Cu using simulated ptychography images. It was concluded that although false contrast may appear at Cu-free columns for some acquisition conditions, ptychography can discriminate columns with and without Cu. Experimental observation of CHA with and without Cu was performed. Images obtained from the Cu-containing sample showed contrast at the six-membered-rings, while no contrast was observed for the Cu-free sample. The results show that ptychography is a promising technique for visualizing the atomic structures of beam-sensitive materials.
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Kawahara K, Ishikawa R, Sasano S, Shibata N, Ikuhara Y. Atomic-Resolution STEM Image Denoising by Total Variation Regularization. Microscopy (Oxf) 2022; 71:302-310. [PMID: 35713554 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Atomic-resolution electron microscopy imaging of solid state material is a powerful method for structural analysis. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is one of the actively used techniques to directly observe atoms in materials. However, some materials are easily damaged by the electron beam irradiation, and only noisy images are available when we decrease the electron dose to avoid beam damages. Therefore, a denoising process is necessary for precise structural analysis in low-dose STEM. In this study, we propose total variation (TV) denoising algorithm to remove quantum noise in a STEM image. We defined an entropy of STEM image that corresponds to the image contrast to determine a hyperparameter and we found that there is a hyperparameter that maximize the entropy. We acquired atomic resolution STEM image of CaF2 viewed along the [001] direction, and executed TV denoising. The atomic columns of Ca and F are clearly visualized by the TV denoising, and atomic position of Ca and F are determined with the error of ± 1 pm and ± 4 pm, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuaki Kawahara
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Ryo Ishikawa
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shun Sasano
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Naoya Shibata
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ikuhara
- Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Atsuta, Nagoya 456-8587, Japan
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Seki T, Khare K, Murakami YO, Toyama S, Sánchez-Santolino G, Sasaki H, Findlay SD, Petersen TC, Ikuhara Y, Shibata N. Linear imaging theory for differential phase contrast and other phase imaging modes in scanning transmission electron microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 2022; 240:113580. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2022.113580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Konvalina I, Paták A, Zouhar M, Müllerová I, Fořt T, Unčovský M, Materna Mikmeková E. Quantification of STEM Images in High Resolution SEM for Segmented and Pixelated Detectors. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 12:71. [PMID: 35010021 PMCID: PMC8746443 DOI: 10.3390/nano12010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The segmented semiconductor detectors for transmitted electrons in ultrahigh resolution scanning electron microscopes allow observing samples in various imaging modes. Typically, two standard modes of objective lens, with and without a magnetic field, differ by their resolution. If the beam deceleration mode is selected, then an electrostatic field around the sample is added. The trajectories of transmitted electrons are influenced by the fields below the sample. The goal of this paper is a quantification of measured images and theoretical study of the capability of the detector to collect signal electrons by its individual segments. Comparison of measured and ray-traced simulated data were difficult in the past. This motivated us to present a new method that enables better comparison of the two datasets at the cost of additional measurements, so-called calibration curves. Furthermore, we also analyze the measurements acquired using 2D pixel array detector (PAD) that provide a more detailed angular profile. We demonstrate that the radial profiles of STEM and/or 2D-PAD data are sensitive to material composition. Moreover, scattering processes are affected by thickness of the sample as well. Hence, comparing the two experimental and simulation data can help to estimate composition or the thickness of the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Konvalina
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Aleš Paták
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Martin Zouhar
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Ilona Müllerová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Tomáš Fořt
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Marek Unčovský
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Vlastimila Pecha 12, 627 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Eliška Materna Mikmeková
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (A.P.); (M.Z.); (I.M.); (T.F.); (E.M.M.)
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Liu JJ. Advances and Applications of Atomic-Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2021; 27:1-53. [PMID: 34414878 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927621012125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images of individual heavy atoms were reported 50 years ago, the applications of atomic-resolution STEM imaging became wide spread only after the practical realization of aberration correctors on field-emission STEM/TEM instruments to form sub-Ångstrom electron probes. The innovative designs and advances of electron optical systems, the fundamental understanding of electron–specimen interaction processes, and the advances in detector technology all played a major role in achieving the goal of atomic-resolution STEM imaging of practical materials. It is clear that tremendous advances in computer technology and electronics, image acquisition and processing algorithms, image simulations, and precision machining synergistically made atomic-resolution STEM imaging routinely accessible. It is anticipated that further hardware/software development is needed to achieve three-dimensional atomic-resolution STEM imaging with single-atom chemical sensitivity, even for electron-beam-sensitive materials. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big-data science are expected to significantly enhance the impact of STEM and associated techniques on many research fields such as materials science and engineering, quantum and nanoscale science, physics and chemistry, and biology and medicine. This review focuses on advances of STEM imaging from the invention of the field-emission electron gun to the realization of aberration-corrected and monochromated atomic-resolution STEM and its broad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyue Jimmy Liu
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287, USA
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