Electron microscopy I

The lecture Electron Microscopy I deals with fundamental interactions between solids and electrons and the use of these interactions for structural analysis with transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Date

The lecture Electron Microscopy I will take place again in winter term 2023/2024!
 

Exam relevance

Master: The lectures Electron Microscopy I and II with the associated practical exercises can be chosen in the Master’s program for Physics for the subjects "Nanophysics" and "Solid State Physics". Students of other subjects please inquire in the lecture.

 

Internship registration

You can find the online registration for the lecture-accompanying internship here:

Internship registration

 

Table of contents

  1. From light micorscopy to electron microscopy
  2. Practical Aspects pf Transmission Electron Microscopy
  3. Electron diffraction in the solid
  4. Contrast formation and practical examples of the maging of crystalline objects in solid-state and metarial research
  5. Dynamic electron diffraction
  6. Image of the crystal lattice/high-resolution electron microscopy
  7. Electron holography

 

Practical exercises

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to investigate the structure inside the sample. With conventional imaging techniques, objects can be resolved on the order of 1 nm. In high-resolution TEM, a resolving power of better than 0.1 nm is achieved with the latest generation of instruments. The prerequisite is the preparation of thin, electron-transparent samples. The maximum sample thickness that can be irradiated is in the order of 1000 nm.

TEM can be used in combination with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and electron specific imaging to address the following questions:

  •  Characterization of defects (dislocations, stacking faults), determination of distribution and density of defects.
  • Distribution and size of precipitates, particles and voids down to sizes of a few nanometers
  • Analysis of different phases, representation of the distribution of different elements
  • Morphology, thickness and interfacial properties of thin films

In the exercise 4 experiments are offered, which cover the basics of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), or cover the material of the lecture in practice.

1st Experiment: Basic Imaging Modes of Transmission Electron Microscopy I
2nd experiment: Basic imaging modes of transmission electron microscopy II
3rd experiment: Convergent electron diffraction of transmission electron microscopy
4th attempt: High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, digital image processing and image simulation

You will learn more about the practical exercise in the lecture.

Literature for experiment 2

Alexander
Edington
WilliamsCarte