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Title: Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions

Abstract

To date, high-resolution (<1 nm) imaging of extended objects in three-dimensions (3D) has not been possible. A restriction known as the Crowther criterion forces a tradeoff between object size and resolution for 3D reconstructions by tomography. Further, the sub-Angstrom resolution of aberration-corrected electron microscopes is accompanied by a greatly diminished depth of field, causing regions of larger specimens (>6 nm) to appear blurred or missing. We demonstrate a three-dimensional imaging method that overcomes both these limits by combining through-focal depth sectioning and traditional tilt-series tomography to reconstruct extended objects, with high-resolution, in all three dimensions. The large convergence angle in aberration corrected instruments now becomes a benefit and not a hindrance to higher quality reconstructions. A through-focal reconstruction over a 390 nm 3D carbon support containing over 100 dealloyed and nanoporous PtCu catalyst particles revealed with sub-nanometer detail the extensive and connected interior pore structure that is created by the dealloying instability.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [3];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied & Engineering Physics. Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Center for Electron Microscopy
  3. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Physics
  4. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1511386
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231; SC0005827; FG02-11ER16210; EEC-0117770; 0646547; DMR-1120296
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Ultramicroscopy
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 140; Journal ID: ISSN 0304-3991
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; tomography; scanning transmission electron microscopy; STEM; TEM; aberration correction; depth sectioning; nanoparticles; catalysts; through focal imaging; electron microscopy; Crowther criterion; 3D imaging; depth of field

Citation Formats

Hovden, Robert, Ercius, Peter, Jiang, Yi, Wang, Deli, Yu, Yingchao, Abruña, Héctor D., Elser, Veit, and Muller, David A. Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013.
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Hovden, Robert, Ercius, Peter, Jiang, Yi, Wang, Deli, Yu, Yingchao, Abruña, Héctor D., Elser, Veit, & Muller, David A. Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013
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Hovden, Robert, Ercius, Peter, Jiang, Yi, Wang, Deli, Yu, Yingchao, Abruña, Héctor D., Elser, Veit, and Muller, David A. Thu . "Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1511386.
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@article{osti_1511386,
title = {Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions},
author = {Hovden, Robert and Ercius, Peter and Jiang, Yi and Wang, Deli and Yu, Yingchao and Abruña, Héctor D. and Elser, Veit and Muller, David A.},
abstractNote = {To date, high-resolution (<1 nm) imaging of extended objects in three-dimensions (3D) has not been possible. A restriction known as the Crowther criterion forces a tradeoff between object size and resolution for 3D reconstructions by tomography. Further, the sub-Angstrom resolution of aberration-corrected electron microscopes is accompanied by a greatly diminished depth of field, causing regions of larger specimens (>6 nm) to appear blurred or missing. We demonstrate a three-dimensional imaging method that overcomes both these limits by combining through-focal depth sectioning and traditional tilt-series tomography to reconstruct extended objects, with high-resolution, in all three dimensions. The large convergence angle in aberration corrected instruments now becomes a benefit and not a hindrance to higher quality reconstructions. A through-focal reconstruction over a 390 nm 3D carbon support containing over 100 dealloyed and nanoporous PtCu catalyst particles revealed with sub-nanometer detail the extensive and connected interior pore structure that is created by the dealloying instability.},
doi = {10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013},
journal = {Ultramicroscopy},
number = ,
volume = 140,
place = {United States},
year = {2014},
month = {2}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013
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Cited by: 24 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Simplified diagram illustrating through-focal STEM tomography. a.) A stack of images at different focal planes is acquired at one specific tilt. This is repeated over a range of specimen tilts. b.) The through-focal image stacks acquired at every tilt angle contains lateral and depth information allowing for amore » high-resolution reconstruction of extended objects with fewer tilt angles.« less
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Electron tomography for functional nanomaterials
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    Atomic electron tomography: 3D structures without crystals
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