Electron Microscopy

Lecture 1: Applications of Electron Microscopy in

Materials Science

Boquan Li
boquanli@wpi.edu
Office: WB239
Phone: x6025

Electron Microscopy
Physical sciences
Materials science
Semiconductor & data
storage
Geological science
Chemical/petrochemical
Forensics
Fine arts conservation

Biological sciences
Cell pathology
Cancer biology
Muscle and motility
Brain biology

* Nanotechnology * Biomaterials * Paleontology

Transmission Electron Microscopy Techniques

1. Imaging

Mass-thickness contrast
Diffraction contrast
Phase contrast (High-resolution electron microscopy)
Z-contrast(Scanning transmission electron
microscopy)

2. Diffraction
Selected area electron diffraction
Nano-area electron diffraction
Convergent-beam electron diffraction

3. Spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive spectroscopy
Electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Scanning Electron Microscopy Techniques

1. Imaging
Secondary electron image (SEI)
Backscattered electron image (BEI)
2. Spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
3. Diffraction
Electron channeling patterns (ECP)
Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD)

TEM Application
-Observations of dislocations
The puzzle of shear strength of a
perfect crystal
Theoretical shear strength is 5 to 9
order of magnitude higher than that
of experimental values for bulk
metals

Shear Slip of Single Crystals

Translational slip in zinc single crystals. (E. R. Parker.)

Imperfections in crystals act

as source of mechanical
weakness

Defects in Metals

Dislocations in aluminium.

Stacking faults in stainless steel

Hirsch, Howie, Whelan, 1960

Dislocations in Si

Plate-like Precipitate in Si

Plate-like precipitate (the dark grey feature) with dislocations relieving parts
of the stress.

Stacking Faults in Si

High Resolution Electron Microscopy

Crystal lattice imaging

TEM Application
Carbon nanotube

Iijima, 1991

Nanoparticle Structure and Orientation

Coverage
20 NM

3.5 ML

8 ML
Ag on H-Si(111)

B.Q. Li, J.M.Zuo, Surf. Sci. 520, 7-17 (2002)

15 ML

Multiply-Twined Nanoparticles on H-Si(001)

Ic3

C
Ic2
B
10nm

Ic1
RT deposition, 4 ML

20nm

RT deposition, 20 ML
B.Q.Li, Phys. Rev. B, 2005

HfO2/Si Interface
HfO2

SiOx

Si

Pd2Si/Si Interface

2nm

Zone axis [112]

Ag Nanoparticles on Si(111)

5nm

Xe-bubbles in Si (100)

100nm

Xe-distrubution Profile

Elemental Mapping in STEM Mode

High Resolution Z-contrast Imaging

STO

La2/3Sr1/3MnO3

La2/3Sr1/3MnO3
La2/3Sr1/3MnO3
LMO
LMO
SMO
SrTiO3
Substrate

Single Atom Spectroscopy

Single Particle Diffraction

10 nm

[110]

J.M.Zuo, M. Gao, J. Tao, B.Q.Li, et al, Microscopy Research and

Technique, 64, 347 (04)

Epitaxy and Growth Orientation

Ag(0-2-2)

Si(022)
Si(022)

50 nm

Epitaxy: Ag(100)//Si(100) and Ag[011]//Si[011]

Wire growth orientation: Ag[011] or Ag[0-11]

Determination of Individual CNT Structure

6,20

d=1.4 nm
M. Gao, et al ,Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2703 (2003)

SEM Applications

Fractured Al Alloy Surface

InAs nanowires on Si

Al2Cu Precipitates in Al Alloy

MEMS
MEMSDevice
Device

20 nm Wide Bridge by E-Beam

Lithography

IBM
IBM

Alumina Template

Grain Orientation

EBSD patterns and calculated crystal orientation in Steel.

Oxford Instruments

Mapping Crystal Orientation

Oxford Instruments

Environmental SEM
Environmental
SEMApplications
Applications

A bug

Ice Cream

Textbooks
1. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray
Microanalysis, 3rd, by Joseph Goldstein, Dale
Newbury, David Joy, Charles Lyman, Patrick
Echlin, Eric Lifshin, Linda Sawyer, and Joseph
Michael.
2. Transmission Electron Microscopy, by David
B. Williams, and C. Barry Carter