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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
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.
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.
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Precision Milling of Carbon Nanotube Forests Using Low Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy
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Precision Milling of Carbon Nanotube Forests Using Low Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 5, 2017

Atmospheric pressure scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Niels de Jonge1, Wilbur C Bigelow, Gabriel M Veith

  • 1Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA. niels.de.jonge@vanderbilt.edu

Nano Letters
|February 12, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) successfully imaged 1.0 nm gold nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure. This breakthrough utilized a novel reaction cell, achieving 0.4 nm edge resolution for advanced nanomaterial analysis.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Electron Microscopy

Background:

  • High-resolution imaging of nanoparticles is crucial for understanding their properties.
  • Imaging nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure presents significant challenges due to beam scattering and sample instability.
  • Previous methods often require vacuum conditions, limiting in-situ studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the capability of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for imaging gold nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure.
  • To develop and validate a reaction cell suitable for in-situ atmospheric pressure STEM analysis.
  • To assess the achievable resolution for nanoparticle imaging under these conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM).
  • Employed a custom-designed reaction cell with two electron-transparent silicon nitride membranes.
  • Recorded images of 1.0 nm gold nanoparticles within a gas mixture (CO, O2, He) at atmospheric pressure.

Main Results:

  • Successfully obtained STEM images of 1.0 nm gold nanoparticles.
  • Observed nanoparticles above the background noise.
  • Achieved an edge resolution of 0.4 nm, consistent with theoretical beam broadening calculations.

Conclusions:

  • STEM is a viable technique for imaging nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure.
  • The developed reaction cell enables in-situ atmospheric pressure electron microscopy.
  • This method opens possibilities for studying nanoparticle behavior in relevant gas environments.