Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has advanced rapidly in the last decade thanks to the ability to correct the major aberrations of the probe-forming lens. Now, atomic-sized beams are routine, even at accelerating voltages as low as 40 kV, allowing knock-on damage to be minimized in beam sensitive materials. The aberration-corrected probes can contain sufficient current for high-quality, simultaneous, imaging and analysis in multiple modes. Atomic positions can be mapped with picometer precision, revealing ferroelectric domain structures, composition can be mapped by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and charge transfer can be tracked unit cell by unit cell using the EELS fine structure. Furthermore, dynamics of point defects can be investigated through rapid acquisition of multiple image scans. Today STEM has become an indispensable tool for analytical science at the atomic level, providing a whole new level of insights into the complex interplays that control material properties.

中文翻译：

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通过扫描透射电子显微镜观察材料结构、特性和动力学

由于能够校正探针形成透镜的主要像差，扫描透射电子显微镜 (STEM) 在过去十年中发展迅速。现在，即使加速电压低至 40 kV，原子尺寸的光束也已成为常规，从而最大限度地减少光束敏感材料中的碰撞损坏。像差校正探头可以包含足够的电流，用于在多种模式下进行高质量、同步、成像和分析。原子位置可以以皮米的精度绘制，揭示铁电畴结构，成分可以通过能量色散 X 射线光谱 (EDX) 和电子能量损失光谱 (EELS) 绘制，并且可以使用以下方法逐个单元地跟踪电荷转移EELS 精细结构。此外，可以通过快速获取多个图像扫描来研究点缺陷的动态。今天，STEM 已成为原子水平分析科学不可或缺的工具，为控制材料特性的复杂相互作用提供了全新的见解。