METHOD OF USING A PHASE PLATE IN A TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

摘要

The invention relates to a method of using a phase plate, having a thin film, in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), comprising: introducing the phase plate in the TEM; preparing the phase plate by irradiating the film with a focused electron beam; introducing a sample in the TEM; and forming an image of the sample using the prepared phase plate, wherein preparing the phase plate involves locally building up a vacuum potential resulting from a change in the electronic structure of the thin film by irradiating the phase plate with a focused beam of electrons, the vacuum potential leading to an absolute phase shift 10 with a smaller value than at the non-irradiated thin film. Preferably the phase plate is heated to avoid contamination. The phase shift achieved with this phase plate can be tuned by varying the diameter of the irradiated spot.

主权项

1. A method of using a phase plate in a transmission electron microscope, the phase plate comprising a thin film, the method comprising:
introducing the phase plate in the transmission electron microscope; conditioning the phase plate by irradiating the film with a focused electron beam; introducing a sample in the transmission electron microscope; and forming an image of the sample using the conditioned phase plate, wherein: conditioning the phase plate involves locally building up a vacuum potential resulting from a change in the electronic structure of the thin film by irradiating the phase plate with a focused beam of electrons, the vacuum potential leading to an absolute phase shift |φ| with a smaller value than at the non-irradiated thin film.