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Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...

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Early results from an aberration-corrected JEOL 2200FS STEM/TEM at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada·2009
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Single-Digit Nanometer Electron-Beam Lithography with an Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
10:25

Single-Digit Nanometer Electron-Beam Lithography with an Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Published on: September 14, 2018

Seeing atoms with aberration-corrected sub-Angström electron microscopy.

Michael A O'Keefe1

  • 1Materials Science Division, National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720-8197, USA. sub-Angstrom@comcast.net

Ultramicroscopy
|December 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary

High-resolution electron microscopy now achieves sub-Angström resolution, surpassing the "one-Angström barrier" for atomic-level material characterization. Further improvements aim for deep sub-Angström imaging, approaching atomic size limits.

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Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy
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Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 3, 2021

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Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Single-Digit Nanometer Electron-Beam Lithography with an Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
10:25

Single-Digit Nanometer Electron-Beam Lithography with an Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Published on: September 14, 2018

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy
15:04

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 3, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Physics
  • Electron Microscopy

Background:

  • High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) enables atomic-level material characterization in simple orientations.
  • Complex orientations require enhanced instrumental resolution to resolve projected atomic positions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail advancements in electron microscopy resolution.
  • To discuss the implications of achieving sub-Angström resolution for materials science.

Main Methods:

  • Software and hardware aberration correction in transmission electron microscopes.
  • Electron holography techniques.
  • Advancements in objective lens aberration correction.

Main Results:

  • Sub-Angström resolution has been achieved, surpassing the previous "one-Angström barrier".
  • Current aberration correction allows imaging at the sub-0.8Å level, with progress towards 0.5Å.
  • Sub-Rayleigh resolution imaging necessitates careful calibration for accurate atom position determination.

Conclusions:

  • Electron microscopy resolution has advanced significantly, enabling unprecedented atomic-scale imaging.
  • Future resolution limits may be dictated by atomic size rather than instrumental capabilities.
  • Optimized imaging conditions can improve the resolution of individual atom peaks.