Electron Optic Documents

Tomography is a technique that employs a series of images successively recorded from an object at different tilt angles with respect to the electron beam in order to obtain that object’s three-dimensional structure using a back projection technique. The images can be recorded in a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) or a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM). JEOL have adopted SerialEM (Boulder laboratory for 3D electron microscopy of cells BL3DEMC) to either modality making tomography an accessible, efficient and easy technique for all aspects of scientific, industrial and medical research.

As seen in IUCrJ Volume 7, July 2020, pages 639-643.

We included in this book as many application examples as possible so that they can be used as criteria for judging what causes unsatisfactory image factors (hereinafter referred to as image disturbances). Although this edition does not describe all about image disturbances, it carries application photos to allow you to consider their causes. It is also important to correctly select the optimum observation conditions for various specimens. For instance, this book carries matters which are considered to be useful for using the instrument, such as the accelerating voltage, probe current and working distance (hereinafter abbreviated to WD).

TEM phase plate development was extensively pursued by Prof Nagayama’s lab in Japan for over ten years. Prof Chiu of Baylor College of Medicine has successfully applied the phase plate system on his Omega filtered TEM (JEM-2200FS) to the molecular structure characterization for proteins.

SEM manufacturers can choose different output sizes for their images, making magnification a very deceptive number when comparing SEM micrographs from different SEM manufacturers. Because of this fact, the best way to compare images is to compare the length of the micron bar or field of view.

To build better lithium-ion batteries, scientists are using advanced imaging and analysis tools to fine-tune battery materials.

Auto Tuning for HR-STEM for crystalline sample.

There are a number of applications where scientists and engineers are faced with air or moisture sensitive samples that require imaging and analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Applications include: components in rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and catalysts among others. Any exposure to oxygen or moisture in the air can completely alter or destroy the structure of these highly reactive materials. JEOL has built a special air-lock system that can handle the transfer of air-sensitive specimens to be imaged in the SEM without atmospheric exposure.

A solid-state battery is made of cathode, anode and electrolyte. This type of battery doesn’t use liquid state electrolyte, so it tends to avoid the issues associated with leakage of electrolyte and ignition/explosion. Recently, silicon has been used as an anode material to improve the battery charge capacity (can store ten times more charge as compared to graphite anodes), but some challenges remain in terms of volume expansion during cycling, low electrical conductivity, and instability of the SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) layer caused by repeated volume changes of the Si material.

The ability to increase the probe current for fast microanalysis, while still maintaining a small spot size and small volume of excitation for high resolution, has been the holy grail of microanalysis in SEM. One of the unique features of JEOL’s FE-SEMs is the patented Aperture Angle Control Lens (ACL). This lens automatically optimizes for both high resolution imaging at low probe currents and high spatial resolution X-ray analysis at high probe currents with a seamless transition between the two.