44 research outputs found
Zircon from the East Orebody of the Bayan Obo FeâNbâREE deposit, China, and SHRIMP ages for carbonatite-related magmatism and REE mineralization events
Extremely U-depleted
High-resolution imaging of biotite using focal series exit wavefunction restoration and the graphene mechanical exfoliation method
AbstractWe have applied mechanical exfoliation for the preparation of ultra-thin
samples of the phyllosilicate mineral biotite. We demonstrate that the
'scotch tape' approach, which was made famous as an early method for
production of single-atom-thick graphene, can be used for production of
sheet-silicate specimens that are sufficiently thin to allow high-resolution
transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) imaging to be achieved successfully
while also being free from the specimen preparation artefacts that are often
caused by ion-beam milling techniques. Exfoliation of the biotite parallel
to the (001) planes has produced layers as thin as two structural TOT units
thick (âŒ2 nm). The minimal specimen thickness enabled not only HRTEM imaging
but also the application of subsequent exit wavefunction restoration to
reveal the pristine biotite lattice. Exit wavefunction restoration recovers
the full complex electron wave from a focal series of HRTEM images, removing
the effects of coherent lens aberrations. This combination of methods
therefore produces images in which the observed features are readily
interpreted to obtain atomic resolution structural information.</jats:p