Combined Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Tilt- and Focal Series

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2013 · Microscopy and Microanalysis

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927614000075· OSTI ID:1132983

Dahmen, Tim ^[1]; Baudoin, Jean-Pierre G ^[2]; Lupini, Andrew R ^[2]; Kubel, Christian ^[3]; Slusallek, Phillip ^[1]; De Jonge, Niels ^[2]

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1. German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Germany
2. ORNL
3. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Leopoldshafen, Germany

In this study, a combined tilt- and focal series is proposed as a new recording scheme for high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) tomography. Three-dimensional (3D) data were acquired by mechanically tilting the specimen, and recording a through-focal series at each tilt direction. The sample was a whole-mount macrophage cell with embedded gold nanoparticles. The tilt focal algebraic reconstruction technique (TF-ART) is introduced as a new algorithm to reconstruct tomograms from such combined tilt- and focal series. The feasibility of TF-ART was demonstrated by 3D reconstruction of the experimental 3D data. The results were compared with a conventional STEM tilt series of a similar sample. The combined tilt- and focal series led to smaller missing wedge artifacts, and a higher axial resolution than obtained for the STEM tilt series, thus improving on one of the main issues of tilt series-based electron tomography.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1132983
• Journal Information: Microscopy and Microanalysis, Journal Name: Microscopy and Microanalysis Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 20; ISSN 1431-9276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English