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

doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2006.04.020

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

electron Microscopy and Microanalysis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-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 language	English
Pages (from-to)	1062-1068
Number of pages	7
Journal	Ultramicroscopy
Volume	106
Issue number	11-12 SPEC. ISS.
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2006.04.020
State	Published - Oct 2006

Funding

This research was sponsored by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of ORNL, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 and by an appointment to the ORNL Postdoctoral Research Program administered jointly by ORNL and ORISE. KvB greatly appreciates funding from the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation. LJA and MPO acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council.

Keywords

ADF
Optical slicing
STEM

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10.1016/j.ultramic.2006.04.020

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

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.",

keywords = "ADF, Optical slicing, STEM",

author = "{van Benthem}, Klaus and Lupini, {Andrew R.} and Oxley, {Mark P.} and Findlay, {Scott D.} and Allen, {Leslie J.} and Pennycook, {Stephen J.}",

year = "2006",

month = oct,

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language = "English",

volume = "106",

pages = "1062--1068",

journal = "Ultramicroscopy",

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T1 - Three-dimensional ADF imaging of individual atoms by through-focal series scanning transmission electron microscopy

AU - van Benthem, Klaus

AU - Lupini, Andrew R.

AU - Oxley, Mark P.

AU - Findlay, Scott D.

AU - Allen, Leslie J.

AU - Pennycook, Stephen J.

PY - 2006/10

Y1 - 2006/10

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - ADF

KW - Optical slicing

KW - STEM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749234350&partnerID=8YFLogxK

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M3 - Article

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VL - 106

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EP - 1068

JO - Ultramicroscopy

JF - Ultramicroscopy

IS - 11-12 SPEC. ISS.

ER -

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

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