Innovative electron microscope for light-element atom visualization

— Development of low-voltage electron microscopes in Triple-C project —

Abstract

Today, the demand for techniques to directly visualize the atomic-level structures of nano-materials and so-called soft matter (organic molecules, bio-materials, etc.) is rapidly increasing. Observing these objects using conventional transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) often results in serious irradiation-induced structural damage, and the images produced have an unsuitable contrast due to the high electron-acceleration voltages. We believe that reducing the acceleration voltages to several tens of kilovolts will enable direct imaging with less damage and help produce images with a higher contrast. However, correcting various aberrations, such as spherical and chromatic aberrations (Cs and Cc, respectively) and high-order geometrical astigmatisms, is necessary to achieve atomic-level spatial resolution. In our Triple-C project, we have developed low-voltage TEM/STEM systems equipped with new Cs and Cc correctors for carbon-based nano-materials.