Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-t5pn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T04:32:55.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Study of Membrane Impact on Spatial Resolution of Liquid In Situ Transmission Electron Microscope

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2020

Ming Li Open the ORCID record for Ming Li [Opens in a new window]  and
Ruth Knibbe
Ming Li
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
Ruth Knibbe*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
*
*Author for correspondence: Ruth Knibbe, E-mail: ruth.knibbe@uq.edu.au
Get access

Abstract

Microchip technology with electron transparent membranes is a key component for in situ liquid transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization. The membranes can significantly influence the TEM imaging spatial resolution, not only due to introducing additional material layers but also due to the associated bulging. The membrane bulging is largely defined by the membrane materials, thickness, and short dimension. The impact of the membrane on the spatial resolution, especially the extent of its bulging, was systematically investigated through the impact on the signal-to-noise ratio, chromatic aberration, and beam broadening. The optimization of the membrane parameters is the key component when designing the in situ TEM liquid cell. The optimal membrane thickness of 50 nm was found which balances the impact of membrane bulging and membrane thickness. Beyond this, the short membrane window dimension and the chip nominal spacing should be minimized. However, these two parameters have practical limitations in regards to chip handling.

Keywords

beam broadeningchromatic abbreviationin situ TEMmembrane bulgingspatial resolutionsignal-to-noise ratio
Type
Software and Instrumentation
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 126 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrams, I & McBain, J (1944). A closed cell for electron microscopy. J Appl Phys 15(8), 607–609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creemer, JF, Helveg, S, Kooyman, PJ, Molenbroek, AM, Zandbergen, HW & Sarro, PM (2010). A MEMS reactor for atomic-scale microscopy of nanomaterials under industrially relevant conditions. J Microelectromech Syst 19(2), 254–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Jonge, N (2018). Theory of the spatial resolution of (scanning) transmission electron microscopy in liquid water or ice layers. Ultramicroscopy 187, 113–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Jonge, N, Peckys, DB, Kremers, GJ & Piston, DW (2009). Electron microscopy of whole cells in liquid with nanometer resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(7), 2159–2164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Jonge, N & Ross, FM (2011). Electron microscopy of specimens in liquid. Nat Nanotechnol 6, 695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Jonge, N, Verch, A & Demers, H (2018). The influence of beam broadening on the spatial resolution of annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy. Microsc Microanal 24(1), 8–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
French, P, Sarro, P, Mallée, R, Fakkeldij, E & Wolffenbuttel, R (1997). Optimization of a low-stress silicon nitride process for surface-micromachining applications. Sens Actuators A 58(2), 149–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, E & Mølhave, K (2016). Encapsulated liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy. In Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy, Ross, FM (Ed.), pp. 35–55. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joy, DC (1995). Monte Carlo Modeling for Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis. New York, United States: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kasap, S & Capper, P (2017). Springer handbook of electronic and photonic materials. Switzerland AG: Springer International Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lupini, AR & de Jonge, N (2011). The three-dimensional point spread function of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Microsc Microanal 17(5), 817–826.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Memarian, F, Fereidoon, A & Darvish Ganji, M (2015). Graphene Young's modulus: Molecular mechanics and DFT treatments. Superlattices Microstruct 85, 348–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petersen, KE (1978). Dynamic micromechanics on silicon: Techniques and devices. IEEE Trans Electron Devices 25(10), 1241–1250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reimer, L (2013). Transmission Electron Microscopy: Physics of Image Formation and Microanalysis. New York, United States: Springer.Google Scholar
Ring, E, Peckys, D, Dukes, M, Baudoin, J & De Jonge, N (2011). Silicon nitride windows for electron microscopy of whole cells. J Microsc 243(3), 273–283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose, A (1948). Television pickup tubes and the problem of vision. In Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics, Marton, L (Ed.), , pp. 131–166. Cambridge, United States: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, D & Tucker, M (1996). Non-destructive characterization and evaluation of thin films by laser-induced ultrasonic surface waves. Thin Solid Films 290, 305–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sousa, AA, Hohmann-Marriott, MF, Zhang, G & Leapman, RD (2009). Monte Carlo electron-trajectory simulations in bright-field and dark-field STEM: Implications for tomography of thick biological sections. Ultramicroscopy 109(3), 213–221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takizuka, T & Abe, H (1977). A binary collision model for plasma simulation with a particle code. J Comput Phys 25(3), 205–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, F, Zhang, H-B, Cao, M, Nishi, R & Takaoka, A (2010). Multiple scattering effects of MeV electrons in very thick amorphous specimens. Ultramicroscopy 110(3), 259–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, DB, Carter, CB & Veyssiere, P (1998). Transmission electron microscopy: A textbook for materials science. MRS Bull 23(5), 47.Google Scholar