Three-dimensional crystal defect imaging by STEM depth sectioning

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/ad4ff9

Abstract One of the major innovations awaiting in electron microscopy is full three-dimensional imaging at atomic resolution. Despite the success of aberration correction to deep sub-ångström lateral resolution, spatial resolution in depth is still far from atomic resolution. In scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), this poor depth resolution is due to the limitation of the illumination angle. To overcome this physical limitation, it is essential to implement a next-generation aberration corrector in STEM that can significantly improve the depth resolution. This review discusses the capability of depth sectioning for three-dimensional imaging combined with large-angle illumination STEM. Furthermore, the statistical analysis approach remarkably improves the depth resolution, making it possible to achieve three-dimensional atomic resolution imaging at oxide surfaces. We will also discuss the future prospects of three-dimensional imaging at atomic resolution by STEM depth sectioning.

Keywords: atomic-resolution STEM STEM depth sectioning depth resolution dopants surface topography

Received: 22 April 2024
Revised: 23 May 2024
Accepted manuscript online: 24 May 2024

PACS:	61.05.J-	(Electron diffraction and scattering)
	68.47.Gh	(Oxide surfaces)
	81.70.Jb	(Chemical composition analysis, chemical depth and dopant profiling)
	61.72.Ff	(Direct observation of dislocations and other defects (etch pits, decoration, electron microscopy, x-ray topography, etc.))

Fund: Project supported by JST-PRESTO (Grant No. JPMJPR1871), JST-FOREST (Grant No. JPMJFR2033), JSTERATO (Grant No. JPMJER2202), KAKENHI JSPS (Grant Nos. JP19H05788, JP21H01614, and JP24H00373), and “Next Generation Electron Microscopy” social cooperation program at the University of Tokyo.

Corresponding Authors: Ryo Ishikawa
E-mail: ishikawa@sigma.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp;

Cite this article:

Ryo Ishikawa, Naoya Shibata, and Yuichi Ikuhara Three-dimensional crystal defect imaging by STEM depth sectioning 2024 Chin. Phys. B 33 086101

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