Ultramicroscopy最新文献

{"title":"Exploring deep learning models for 4D-STEM-DPC data processing.","authors":"Gregory Nordahl, Sivert Dagenborg, Jørgen Sørhaug, Magnus Nord","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For the study of magnetic materials at the nanoscale, differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging is a potent tool. With the advancements in direct detector technology, and consequent popularity gain for four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM), there has been an ongoing development of new and enhanced ways for STEM-DPC big data processing. Conventional algorithms are experimentally tailored, and so in this article we explore how supervised learning with convolutional neural networks (CNN) can be utilized for automated and consistent processing of STEM-DPC data. Two different approaches are investigated, one with direct tracking of the beam with regression analysis, and one where a modified U-net is used for direct beam segmentation as a pre-processing step. The CNNs are trained on experimentally obtained 4D-STEM data, enabling them to effectively handle data collected under similar instrument acquisition parameters. The model outputs are compared to conventional algorithms, particularly in how they process data in the presence of strong diffraction contrast, and how they affect domain wall profiles and width measurement.</p>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142401456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of a novel local and automatic PCA algorithm for diffraction pattern denoising in TEM-ASTAR analysis in microelectronics.","authors":"Tony Printemps, Karen Dabertrand, Jérémy Vives, Alexia Valery","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper introduces a novel denoising method for TEM-ASTAR™ Diffraction Pattern (DP) datasets, termed LAT-PCA (Local Automatic Thresholding - Principal Component Analysis). This approach enhances the established PCA algorithm by partitioning the 4D dataset (a 2D map of 2D DPs) into localized windows. Within these windows, PCA identifies a basis where the physical signal predominantly resides in the higher-order principal components. By thresholding lower-order components, the method effectively reduces noise while retaining the essential features of the DPs. The locality of the approach, focusing on small windows, enhances computational efficiency and aligns with the localized nature of the crystallographic grain signals in ASTAR. The automatic aspect of the method employs a theoretical pure noise distribution, i.e. a Marchenko-Pastur Distribution, to set a threshold, beyond which the components are mostly noise. The LAT-PCA method offers significant reductions in acquisition and post-processing times. With denoised data, selecting the correct parameters for accurate phase maps and grain orientations becomes more straightforward, facilitating robust quantitative grain analysis. Experiments performed on a silicon-germanium-carbon sample validate the method's efficacy. The sample was analyzed with varying acquisition times to produce a high signal-to-noise ratio reference dataset and a lower ratio test dataset. The LAT-PCA algorithm's denoising results on the test dataset were benchmarked against the reference, demonstrating considerable improvements and reliability. In summary, LAT-PCA is an effective, automatic solution for denoising TEM DP datasets. Its adaptability to different noise levels and local processing capability makes it a valuable tool for enhancing dataset quality and reducing the time required for data acquisition and analysis. This method can minimize acquisition time, conserve microscope usage, and reduce sample drift and deterioration, leading to more accurate characterizations with fewer deformation artifacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142381747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A simple and intuitive model for long-range 3D potential distributions of in-operando TEM-samples: Comparison with electron holographic tomography.","authors":"Hüseyin Çelik, Robert Fuchs, Simon Gaebel, Christian M Günther, Michael Lehmann, Tolga Wagner","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electron holography is a powerful tool to investigate the properties of micro- and nanostructured electronic devices. A meaningful interpretation of the holographic data, however, requires an understanding of the 3D potential distribution inside and outside the sample. Standard approaches to resolve these potential distributions involve projective tilt series and their tomographic reconstruction, in addition to extensive simulations. Here, a simple and intuitive model for the approximation of such long-range potential distributions surrounding a nanostructured coplanar capacitor is presented. The model uses only independent convolutions of an initial potential distribution with a Gaussian kernel, allowing the reconstruction of the entire potential distribution from only one measured projection. By this, a significant reduction of the required computational power as well as a drastically simplified measurement process is achieved, paving the way towards quantitative electron holographic investigation of electrically biased nanostructures.</p>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142366704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EBSD and TKD analyses using inverted contrast Kikuchi diffraction patterns and alternative measurement geometries","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns can exhibit Kikuchi bands with inverted contrast due to anomalous absorption. This can be observed, for example, on samples with nanoscale topography, in case of a low tilt backscattering geometry, or for transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) on thicker samples. Three examples are discussed where contrast-inverted physics-based simulated master patterns have been applied to find the correct crystal orientation. As first EBSD example, self-assembled gold nanostructures made of Au fcc and Au hcp phases on single-crystal germanium were investigated. Gold covered about 12% of the mapped area, with only two thirds being successfully interpreted using standard Hough-based indexing. The remaining third was solved by brute force indexing using a contrast-inverted master pattern. The second EBSD example deals with maps collected at a non-tilted surface instead of the commonly used 70° tilted one. As TKD example, a jet-polished foil made of duplex stainless steel 2205 was examined. The thin part close to the hole edge producing normal-contrast patterns were standard indexed. The areas of the foil that become thicker with increasing distance from the edge of the hole produce contrast-inverted patterns. They covered three times the evaluable area and were successfully processed using the contrast-inverted master pattern. In the last example, inverted patterns collected at a non-tiled sample were mathematically inverted to normal contrast, and Hough/Radon-based indexing was successfully applied.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304399124001347/pdfft?md5=805f0bcd2116a88f646294acc77c2b2c&pid=1-s2.0-S0304399124001347-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142314617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultra-low-noise transimpedance amplifier with a single HEMT in pre-amplifier for measuring shot noise in cryogenic STM","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, a design of transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope (CryoSTM) is proposed. TIA with the tip-sample component in CryoSTM is called as CryoSTM-TIA. With transimpedance gain of 1 G<span><math><mi>Ω</mi></math></span>, the bandwidth of the CryoSTM-TIA is larger than 200 kHz. The distinctive feature of the proposed CryoSTM-TIA is that its pre-amplifier is made of a single cryogenic high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), so the apparatus equivalent input noise current power spectral density at 100 kHz is lower than 6 (fA)<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span>/Hz. In addition, “bias-cooling method” can be used to in-situ control the density of the frozen DX<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup></math></span> centers in the HEMT doping area, changing its structure to reduce the device noises. With this apparatus, fast scanning tunneling spectra measurements with high-energy-resolution are capable to be performed. And, it is capable to measure scanning tunneling shot noise spectra (STSNS) at the atomic scale for various quantum systems, even if the shot noise is very low. It provides a powerful tool to investigate novel quantum states by measuring STSNS, such as detecting the existence of Majorana bound states in the topological quantum systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142328350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the temporal transfer function in STEM imaging from finite detector response time","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Faster scanning in scanning transmission electron microscopy has long been desired for the ability to better control dose, minimise effects of environmental distortions, and to capture the dynamics of in-situ experiments. Advances in scan controllers and scan deflection systems have enabled scanning with pixel dwell times on the order of tens of nanoseconds. At these speeds, the finite response time of the electron detector must be considered as the signal from one electron detection event can contribute to multiple pixels, blurring the features within the image. Here we introduce a temporal transfer function (TTF) to describe and model the effects of detector response time on imaging, as well as a framework for incorporating these effects into simulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142328158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of strongly coupled quartz tuning fork sensors for precision force measurement in atomic force microscopy","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Miniaturized quartz tuning forks (QTFs) have been adopted as force sensors for non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM). However, the coupled oscillation behaviors of the QTF prongs are not well understood, preventing quantitative measurement of the nanoscale tip-sample interaction forces. This article presents a lumped model that accurately delineates the coupled mechanical oscillations of QTF prongs, establishing rigorous relationships between experimental observables and tip-sample interaction forces. The first-order resonance spectra of a commercial QTF were fully characterized by correlating its piezoelectric response with the actual mechanical oscillation measured with a Fabry-Pérot interferometer. In order to uniquely determine the modeling parameters (i.e., the effective masses, spring constants, and damping constants), the experimental results were compared with the lumped model predictions while masses were added to one prong. The results reveal that the QTF’s center of mass is highly damped, preventing the observation of a symmetric resonance mode. In addition, the mass loading experiment demonstrates that the mechanical oscillations of the QTF prongs are strongly coupled, accounting for 59% (84%) of the effective stiffness at the in-plane (out-of-plane), antisymmetric resonance mode. We believe that the obtained QTF characterization results will pave the way for quantitative measurements of non-contact interaction forces in QTF-based AFM platforms, significantly improving the precision and reliability of nanoscale force measurements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142271112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective removal of global tilt from atomically-resolved topography images of vicinal surfaces with narrow terraces","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The main feature of vicinal surfaces of crystals characterized by the Miller indices <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>h</mi><mspace></mspace><mi>h</mi><mspace></mspace><mi>m</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> is rather small width (less than 10 nm) and substantially large length (more than 200 nm) of atomically-flat terraces. This makes difficult to apply standard methods of image processing and correct visualization of crystalline lattices at the terraces and multiatomic steps. Here we consider two procedures allowing us to minimize effects of both small-scale noise and global tilt of sample: (i) analysis of the difference of two Gaussian blurred images, and (ii) subtraction of the plane, whose parameters are determined by optimization of the histogram of the visible heights, from raw topography image. It is shown that both methods provide nondistorted images demonstrating atomic structures on vicinal Si(5<!--> <!-->5<!--> <!-->6) and Si(5<!--> <!-->5<!--> <!-->7) surfaces.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142271113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Automated detection and mapping of crystal tilt using thermal diffuse scattering in transmission electron microscopy","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Quantitative interpretation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data of crystalline specimens often requires the accurate knowledge of the local crystal orientation. A method is presented which exploits momentum-resolved scanning TEM (STEM) data to determine the local mistilt from a major zone axis. It is based on a geometric analysis of Kikuchi bands within a single diffraction pattern, yielding the center of the Laue circle. Whereas the approach is not limited to convergent illumination, it is here developed using unit-cell averaged diffraction patterns corresponding to high-resolution STEM settings. In simulation studies, an accuracy of approximately 0.1 mrad is found. The method is implemented in automated software and applied to crystallographic tilt and in-plane rotation mapping in two experimental cases. In particular, orientation maps of high-Mn steel and an epitaxially grown La<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>0.7</mtext></mrow></msub></math></span>Sr<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>0.3</mtext></mrow></msub></math></span>MnO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>3</mtext></mrow></msub></math></span>-SrTiO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>3</mtext></mrow></msub></math></span> interface are presented. The results confirm the estimates of the simulation study and indicate that tilt mapping can be performed consistently over a wide field of view with diameters well above 100 nm at unit cell real space sampling.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142271111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new method for estimating nanoparticle deposition coverage from a set of weak-contrast SEM images","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Imaging nanomaterials in hybrid systems is critical to understanding the structure and functionality of these systems. However, current technologies such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) may obtain high resolution/contrast images at the cost of damaging or contaminating the sample. For example, to prevent the charging of organic substrate/matrix, a very thin layer of metal is coated on the surface, which will permanently contaminate the sample and eliminate the possibility of reusing it for following processes. Conversely, examining the sample without any modifications, in pursuit of high-fidelity digital images of its unperturbed state, can come at the cost of low-quality images that are challenging to process. Here, a solution is proposed for the case where no brightness threshold is available to reliably judge whether a region is covered with nanomaterials. The method examines local brightness variability to detect nanomaterial deposits. Very good agreement with manually obtained values of the coverage is observed, and a strong case is made for the method's automatability. Although the developed methodology is showcased in the context of SEM images of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates on which silicone dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles are assembled, the underlying concepts may be extended to situations where straightforward brightness thresholding is not viable.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":23439,"journal":{"name":"Ultramicroscopy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142271110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}