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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
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...
Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy01:37

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.
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...
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
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 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

Future trends in aberration-corrected electron microscopy.

Harald H Rose1

  • 1Technical University Darmstadt, Institute of Applied Physics, Hochschulstrasse 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany. harald.rose@physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|August 19, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Achieving atomic resolution in electron microscopy requires overcoming instrumental limits and radiation damage. This study proposes a low-voltage, aberration-corrected electron microscope to enable high-resolution imaging of sensitive materials.

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Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography
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Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

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Last Updated: Jun 20, 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

Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography
08:04

Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography

Published on: March 12, 2017

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
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Physics

Background:

  • Specimen resolution in electron microscopy is limited by instrumental factors and radiation damage.
  • Radiation damage, particularly atom displacement from knock-on collisions, affects solid objects like metals.
  • Aberration correction significantly improves instrumental resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To achieve atomic resolution at low voltages (<100 kV) with numerous resolved image points.
  • To develop an achromatic electron-optical aplanat free from chromatic, spherical, and off-axial coma aberrations.
  • To enable visualization of radiation-sensitive objects using a low-voltage, aberration-corrected phase transmission electron microscope.

Main Methods:

  • Proposing an achromatic electron-optical aplanat with aberration correction.
  • Eliminating anisotropic components using a dual objective lens or skew octopoles (TEAM corrector).
  • Operating at voltages below the knock-on threshold and employing phase shifting for negative contrast mode.

Main Results:

  • An achromatic electron-optical aplanat design is proposed, correcting for chromatic, spherical, and coma aberrations.
  • Methods for eliminating anisotropic components and achieving optimum imaging conditions are detailed.
  • A negative contrast mode is described where phase and scattering contrasts add constructively.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed design facilitates atomic resolution imaging at low voltages, minimizing radiation damage.
  • The SALVE (Sub-A Low-Voltage Electron microscope) project aims to realize this advanced electron microscope.
  • This technology will enable high-resolution visualization of radiation-sensitive materials.