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Updated: May 15, 2026
08:14
Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases
Published on: October 25, 2019
Monochromated STEM with a 30 meV-wide, atom-sized electron probe
Ondrej L Krivanek1, Tracy C Lovejoy, Niklas Dellby
1Nion Company, 1102 8th St., Kirkland, WA 98033, USA. krivanek@nion.com
Microscopy (Oxford, England)
|January 22, 2013
Summary
Aberration correction in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has advanced significantly, enabling single-atom imaging and analysis. Future developments promise even higher resolution for atomic-scale investigations using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physics
- Electron Microscopy
Background:
- Review of aberration correction origins and recent achievements in STEM.
- Historical success in correcting spectrum aberrations in electron energy loss spectrometers (EELS) paved the way for imaging aberration correction.
- Aberration correction is crucial for advancing microscopy techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the historical development and current state of aberration correction in STEM.
- To highlight key applications enabled by aberration correction.
- To introduce and describe a novel all-magnetic monochromator for future STEM applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical data and published research on aberration correction.
- Description of a new all-magnetic monochromator design.
- Experimental testing of the monochromator at 60 keV.
Main Results:
- Aberration correction has enabled advanced STEM investigations, such as imaging single-atom impurities in graphene.
- Analysis of atomic bonding at the single-atom level using EELS is now feasible.
- The new all-magnetic monochromator achieved 12 meV energy resolution and a ∼1.2 Å probe size at 60 keV.
Conclusions:
- Aberration correction has revolutionized STEM capabilities, particularly for nanoscale materials analysis.
- The developed monochromator demonstrates potential for sub-30 meV energy resolution with atom-sized probes.
- Future improvements aim for 10 meV energy resolution, further enhancing atomic-scale characterization.
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