Nanotechnology Now - News Story: "Hitachi, University Prototypes Low-damage Electron Analysis Microscope"

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July 30th, 2008

Hitachi, University Prototypes Low-damage Electron Analysis Microscope

Abstract:
Hitachi Ltd and Hokkaido University prototyped an electron analysis microscope that produces an enlarged image by irradiating an electron beam from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to a specimen and analyzing the diffraction pattern of the scattered light.

Because the output of the electron beam is as low as 30keV, light element materials such as carbon can be observed without damage to the specimen. Unlike existing microscopes, distortion from aberration is limited in the prototype, because it does not use imaging lens.

"The actual prototype of an analysis microscope without an imaging lens is the first in the world," said professor Kazutoshi Gohara of Hokkaido University Graduate School of Engineering. The nanotube specimen was observed at 0.34nm resolution, according to Gohara.

In general, a transmission electron microscope (TEM), in which parallel electron beams of approximately 100keV irradiate a specimen, is used for electron level observation. However in this method, because of the high energy, damages such as displacement of atoms could occur in the specimens, making long-time or repeated observation difficult. In addition, distortion and blur due to aberration of lens are likely to occur, because images are enlarged by a imaging lens.

Source:
techon.nikkeibp.co.jp

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