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      Ptychographic electron microscopy using high-angle dark-field scattering for sub-nanometre resolution imaging

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          Abstract

          Diffractive imaging, in which image-forming optics are replaced by an inverse computation using scattered intensity data, could, in principle, realize wavelength-scale resolution in a transmission electron microscope. However, to date all implementations of this approach have suffered from various experimental restrictions. Here we demonstrate a form of diffractive imaging that unshackles the image formation process from the constraints of electron optics, improving resolution over that of the lens used by a factor of five and showing for the first time that it is possible to recover the complex exit wave (in modulus and phase) at atomic resolution, over an unlimited field of view, using low-energy (30 keV) electrons. Our method, called electron ptychography, has no fundamental experimental boundaries: further development of this proof-of-principle could revolutionize sub-atomic scale transmission imaging.

          Abstract

          Diffractive imaging can deliver wavelength-scale resolution with X-rays, although its use with electrons is hampered by experimental constraints. By applying ptychographic methods to transmission electron microscopy, Humphry et al. demonstrate sub-nanometre resolution using low-energy electrons.

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          Most cited references14

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          A new microscopic principle.

          D. Gabor (1948)
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            Radiation damage in the TEM and SEM.

            We review the various ways in which an electron beam can adversely affect an organic or inorganic sample during examination in an electron microscope. The effects considered are: heating, electrostatic charging, ionization damage (radiolysis), displacement damage, sputtering and hydrocarbon contamination. In each case, strategies to minimise the damage are identified. In the light of recent experimental evidence, we re-examine two common assumptions: that the amount of radiation damage is proportional to the electron dose and is independent of beam diameter; and that the extent of the damage is proportional to the amount of energy deposited in the specimen.
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              High-resolution scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy.

              Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) are two popular microscopy techniques that have evolved quite independently. CDI promises to reach resolutions below 10 nanometers, but the reconstruction procedures put stringent requirements on data quality and sample preparation. In contrast, STXM features straightforward data analysis, but its resolution is limited by the spot size on the specimen. We demonstrate a ptychographic imaging method that bridges the gap between CDI and STXM by measuring complete diffraction patterns at each point of a STXM scan. The high penetration power of x-rays in combination with the high spatial resolution will allow investigation of a wide range of complex mesoscopic life and material science specimens, such as embedded semiconductor devices or cellular networks.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Nat Commun
                Nat Commun
                Nature Communications
                Nature Pub. Group
                2041-1723
                06 March 2012
                : 3
                : 730
                Affiliations
                [1 ]simplePhase Focus Ltd, The Electric Works , Sheffield Digital Campus, Sheffield S1 2BJ, UK.
                [2 ]simpleGatan Inc. , 5794 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Pleasanton, California 94588, USA.
                [3 ]simpleDepartment of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Sheffield , Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.
                [4 ]Deceased.
                Author notes
                Article
                ncomms1733
                10.1038/ncomms1733
                3316878
                22395621
                05841fc8-af13-4ef6-ab2a-ba4d67421719
                Copyright © 2012, Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

                History
                : 26 August 2011
                : 06 February 2012
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