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Enhanced Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy Using Phase Reconstruction and Its Application in Condensation.
Lenan Zhang1, Jinlong Zhu2, Kyle L Wilke1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States.
ACS Nano
|January 18, 2019
Summary
Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) now achieves higher resolution and pressure limits using phase reconstruction. This technique enhances imaging for dynamic processes like droplet growth and coalescence at pressures up to 2500 Pa.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Physics
Background:
- Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) enables imaging of wet or insulating samples in a gaseous environment, expanding upon conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- High gas pressures in ESEM chambers typically degrade image resolution and contrast, limiting operation below 1000 Pa and hindering the study of dynamic interactions requiring high sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an enhanced ESEM technique using phase reconstruction to overcome pressure limitations and improve image quality for nanoscale sensing.
- To extend the operating pressure range of ESEM for high-resolution imaging of dynamic processes and weak scattering from transparent or nanoscale samples.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a phase reconstruction algorithm within the ESEM framework.
- Application of the enhanced technique to study the dynamics of condensing droplets, including droplet growth and coalescence.
- Investigation of nucleation site distribution on nanostructured surfaces under high-pressure conditions.
Main Results:
- Successfully extended the ESEM operating pressure range from 1000 Pa to 2500 Pa while significantly improving image resolution and contrast.
- Visualized dynamic processes such as single-droplet growth and droplet coalescence with enhanced clarity.
- Detected the distribution of nucleation sites on nanostructured surfaces, demonstrating improved nanoscale sensing capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The phase reconstruction method offers a hardware-independent approach to high-performance ESEM imaging at elevated pressures.
- This enhanced technique broadens the applicability of ESEM for investigating a wide array of static and dynamic nanoscale phenomena.
- The improved sensitivity and resolution are crucial for understanding fundamental processes with industrial relevance, such as condensation dynamics.
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