254 research outputs found
Probing the local environment of two-dimensional ordered vacancy structures in Ga2SeTe2 via aberration-corrected electron microscopy
There has been considerable interest in chalcogenide alloys with high
concentrations of native vacancies that lead to properties desirable for
thermoelectric and phase-change materials. Recently, vacancy ordering has been
identified as the mechanism for metal-insulator transitions observed in
GeSb2Te4 and an unexpectedly low thermal conductivity in Ga2Te3. Here, we
report the direct observation of vacancy ordering in Ga2SeTe2 utilizing
aberration-corrected electron microscopy. Images reveal a cation-anion dumbbell
inversion associated with the accommodation of vacancy ordering across the
entire crystal. The result is a striking example of the interplay between
native defects and local structure.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Probing Light Atoms at Sub-nanometer Resolution: Realization of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope Holography
Atomic resolution imaging in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and
scanning TEM (STEM) of light elements in electron-transparent materials has
long been a challenge. Biomolecular materials, for example, are rapidly altered
when illuminated with electrons. These issues have driven the development of
TEM and STEM techniques that enable the structural analysis of electron
beam-sensitive and weakly scattering nano-materials. Here, we demonstrate such
a technique, STEM holography, capable of absolute phase and amplitude object
wave measurement with respect to a vacuum reference wave. We use an
amplitude-dividing nanofabricated grating to prepare multiple spatially
separated electron diffraction probe beams focused at the sample plane, such
that one beam transmits through the specimen while the others pass through
vacuum. We raster-scan the diffracted probes over the region of interest. We
configure the post specimen imaging system of the microscope to diffraction
mode, overlapping the probes to form an interference pattern at the detector.
Using a fast-readout, direct electron detector, we record and analyze the
interference fringes at each position in a 2D raster scan to reconstruct the
complex transfer function of the specimen, t(x). We apply this technique to
image a standard target specimen consisting of gold nanoparticles on a thin
amorphous carbon substrate, and demonstrate 2.4 angstrom resolution phase
images. We find that STEM holography offers higher phase-contrast of the
amorphous material while maintaining Au atomic lattice resolution when compared
with high angle annular dark field STEM.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures in main text, 1 supplemental figure in the
appendi
Electron tomography at 2.4 {\AA} resolution
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful imaging tool that has
found broad application in materials science, nanoscience and biology(1-3).
With the introduction of aberration-corrected electron lenses, both the spatial
resolution and image quality in TEM have been significantly improved(4,5) and
resolution below 0.5 {\AA} has been demonstrated(6). To reveal the 3D structure
of thin samples, electron tomography is the method of choice(7-11), with
resolutions of ~1 nm^3 currently achievable(10,11). Recently, discrete
tomography has been used to generate a 3D atomic reconstruction of a silver
nanoparticle 2-3 nm in diameter(12), but this statistical method assumes prior
knowledge of the particle's lattice structure and requires that the atoms fit
rigidly on that lattice. Here we report the experimental demonstration of a
general electron tomography method that achieves atomic scale resolution
without initial assumptions about the sample structure. By combining a novel
projection alignment and tomographic reconstruction method with scanning
transmission electron microscopy, we have determined the 3D structure of a ~10
nm gold nanoparticle at 2.4 {\AA} resolution. While we cannot definitively
locate all of the atoms inside the nanoparticle, individual atoms are observed
in some regions of the particle and several grains are identified at three
dimensions. The 3D surface morphology and internal lattice structure revealed
are consistent with a distorted icosahedral multiply-twinned particle. We
anticipate that this general method can be applied not only to determine the 3D
structure of nanomaterials at atomic scale resolution(13-15), but also to
improve the spatial resolution and image quality in other tomography
fields(7,9,16-20).Comment: 27 pages, 17 figure
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Dynamic deformability of individual PbSe nanocrystals during superlattice phase transitions
The behavior of individual nanocrystals during superlattice phase transitions can profoundly affect the structural perfection and electronic properties of the resulting superlattices. However, details of nanocrystal morphological changes during superlattice phase transitions are largely unknown due to the lack of direct observation. Here, we report the dynamic deformability of PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals during superlattice phase transitions that are driven by ligand displacement. Real-time high-resolution imaging with liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy reveals that following ligand removal, the individual PbSe nanocrystals experience drastic directional shape deformation when the spacing between nanocrystals reaches 2 to 4 nm. The deformation can be completely recovered when two nanocrystals move apart or it can be retained when they attach. The large deformation, which is responsible for the structural defects in the epitaxially fused nanocrystal superlattice, may arise from internanocrystal dipole-dipole interactions
Advanced Techniques in Automated High Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
Scanning transmission electron microscopy is a common tool used to study the
atomic structure of materials. It is an inherently multimodal tool allowing for
the simultaneous acquisition of multiple information channels. Despite its
versatility, however, experimental workflows currently rely heavily on
experienced human operators and can only acquire data from small regions of a
sample at a time. Here, we demonstrate a flexible pipeline-based system for
high-throughput acquisition of atomic-resolution structural data using a custom
built sample stage and automation program. The program is capable of operating
over many hours without human intervention improving the statistics of
high-resolution experiments
Alternative Stacking Sequences in Hexagonal Boron Nitride
The relative orientation of successive sheets, i.e. the stacking sequence, in
layered two-dimensional materials is central to the electronic, thermal, and
mechanical properties of the material. Often different stacking sequences have
comparable cohesive energy, leading to alternative stable crystal structures.
Here we theoretically and experimentally explore different stacking sequences
in the van der Waals bonded material hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). We examine
the total energy, electronic bandgap, and dielectric response tensor for five
distinct high symmetry stacking sequences for both bulk and bilayer forms of
h-BN. Two sequences, the generally assumed AA' sequence and the relatively
unknown (for h-BN) AB (Bernal) sequence, are predicted to have comparably low
energy. We present a scalable modified chemical vapor deposition method that
produces large flakes of virtually pure AB stacked h-BN; this new material
complements the generally available AA' stacked h-BN
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