from the imaging-atoms dept.
RobVirkus writes "A new I.B.M electron microscope has a resolving power 'less than the radius of a single hydrogen atom'. The beam is 'only three-billionth of an inch wide' which converted is about 0.0762 NM. The image is also three dimensional imaging up to 10 NM depth. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/08/technology/08BLU E.html" The research paper was published in the August 8 2002 issue of Nature
Sub-ångstrom resolution using aberration corrected electron optics
P. E. BATSON, N. DELLBY & O. L. KRIVANEK
Nature 418, 617-620 (2002)
We report here the implementation of a computer-controlled aberration correction system in a scanning transmission electron microscope, which is less sensitive to chromatic aberration. Using this approach, we achieve an electron probe smaller than 1 Å. This performance, about 20 times the electron wavelength at 120 keV energy, allows dynamic imaging of single atoms, clusters of a few atoms, and single atomic layer 'rafts' of atoms coexisting with Au islands on a carbon substrate. This technique should also allow atomic column imaging of semiconductors, for detection of single dopant atoms, using an electron beam with energy below the damage threshold for silicon.
