Three-dimensional ADF imaging of individual atoms by through-focal series scanning transmission electron microscopy

Klaus van Benthem, Andrew R. Lupini, Mark P. Oxley, Scott D. Findlay, Leslie J. Allen, Stephen J. Pennycook

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

114 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aberration correction in scanning transmission electron microscopy has more than doubled the lateral resolution, greatly improving the visibility of individual impurity or dopant atoms. Depth resolution is increased five-fold, to the nanometer level. We show how a through-focal series of images enables single Hf atoms to be located inside an advanced gate dielectric device structure to a precision of better than 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.5 nm. This depth sectioning method for three-dimensional characterization has potential applications to many other fields, including polycrystalline materials, catalysts and biological structures.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1062-1068
Number of pages7
JournalUltramicroscopy
Volume106
Issue number11-12 SPEC. ISS.
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2006

Keywords

  • ADF
  • Optical slicing
  • STEM

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