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

doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013

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:

Hovden, Robert ^[1]; Ercius, Peter ^[2]; Jiang, Yi ^[3]; Wang, Deli ^[4]; Yu, Yingchao ^[4]; Abruña, Héctor D. ^[4]; Elser, Veit ^[3]; Muller, David A. ^[1]

Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied & Engineering Physics. Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Center for Electron Microscopy
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Physics
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Publication Date:: 2014-02-20

Research Org.:: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22); 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.  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, and Muller, David A. Thu .  
        "Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions".  United States.  doi: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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DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Electron tomography for functional nanomaterials
journal, April 2020

Hovden, Robert; Muller, David A.
MRS Bulletin, Vol. 45, Issue 4
DOI: 10.1557/mrs.2020.87

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

Abstract

Citation Formats

Electron tomography for functional nanomaterials journal, April 2020

Electron tomography for functional nanomaterials
journal, April 2020