Method of using a phase plate in a transmission electron microscope
US9129774B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 2014 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/2614
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
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 |φ| 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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.