The atomic reconstruction of a misfit dislocation (MD) core causes change in the strain distribution around the core. Several MD cores at the AlSb/GaAs (001) cubic zincblende interface, including a symmetrical glide set Lomer dislocation (LD), a left-displaced glide set LD, a glide set LD with an atomic step, a symmetrical shuffle set LD, and a 60° dislocation pair, were studied using simulated projected potential and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope images. Image deconvolution was also used to restore structure images from nonoptimum-defocus images. The corresponding biaxial strain maps, εxx (in-plane) and εyy (out-of-plane), were obtained by geometric phase analysis using the GaAs substrate as the reference lattice. The results show that atomic structure characteristics of MD cores can be revealed by the strain maps. The strain maps should be measured from optimum-defocus images or restored structure images. Furthermore, the εxx strain map has been found more accurate than the εyy strain map for MD cores, and the specimen thickness should be below the critical thickness due to the influence of dynamical scattering.

Ocular surface diseases (OSDs) represent a widely investigated field of research given their growing incidence and the negative impact on quality of life. During OSDs, cytokines generated by damaged epithelia trigger and deregulate the lymphoid cells composing the eye-associated lymphoid tissues, inducing an immune-mediated chronic inflammation that amplifies and propagates the disease during time. The conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue (CALT), given its particular position that permits immune cells covering the cornea, might play a crucial role in the development of OSDs. Despite the recognized inflammatory role of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues in other stations taking contact with the external environment (gut or bronchus), CALT did not gain the deserved consideration. In the last years, the diffusion of the in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) stimulated the interest to CALT, especially in dry eye, ocular allergy, and glaucoma. Though the initial stimuli were different, IVCM documented similar changes, represented by increased lymphoid cells within the diffuse layer, follicles and interfollicular spaces. These findings, which need to be validated by immunohistology, support the CALT stimulation during OSDs. However, while an involvement of the CALT in OSDs is hypothesizable, the exact role of this structure in their pathogenesis remains unclear and warrants further investigations.

The composition of GaAs measured by laser-assisted atom probe tomography may be inaccurate depending on the experimental conditions. In this work, we assess the role of the DC field and the impinging laser energy on such compositional bias. The DC field is found to have a major influence, while the laser energy has a weaker one within the range of parameters explored. The atomic fraction of Ga may vary from 0.55 at low-field conditions to 0.35 at high field. These results have been interpreted in terms of preferential evaporation of Ga at high field. The deficit of As is most likely explained by the formation of neutral As complexes either by direct ejection from the tip surface or upon the dissociation of large clusters. The study of multiple detection events supports this interpretation.

Calcium phosphate derivatives have been widely employed in medical and dental applications for hard tissue repair, as they are the main inorganic constitution of hard tissue; such as bones and teeth. Owing to their excellent osteoconductive and bioactive properties, hydroxyapatite- (HA) based ceramics are the best candidates of this group for medical, bioscience, and dental applications. However, when replacing a bone or tooth, HA is not able to sustain similar mechanical properties. In this study, to improve the mechanical properties, nanoscale hexagonal boron nitride with different compositional percentages was added to the nano HA to form composites. The effect of compositional changes and sintering parameters on microstructural and morphological properties of the ceramic composites was comparatively investigated. Detailed chemical characterization of the composite materials was carried out using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, whereas scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy investigations were employed to monitor morphological and surface features. Additional transmission electron microscopy investigations were carried out to reveal the nanostructure and crystal structure of the composites.

The dictionary-based approach to the indexing of diffraction patterns is applied to electron channeling patterns (ECPs). The main ingredients of the dictionary method are introduced, including the generalized forward projector (GFP), the relevant detector model, and a scheme to uniformly sample orientation space using the “cubochoric” representation. The GFP is used to compute an ECP “master” pattern. Derivative free optimization algorithms, including the Nelder–Mead simplex and the bound optimization by quadratic approximation are used to determine the correct detector parameters and to refine the orientation obtained from the dictionary approach. The indexing method is applied to poly-silicon and shows excellent agreement with the calibrated values. Finally, it is shown that the method results in a mean disorientation error of 1.0° with 0.5° SD for a range of detector parameters.

We present a computational method for pseudo-circular object detection and quantitative characterization in digital images, using the gradient accumulation matrix as a basic tool. This Gradient Accumulation Transform (GAT) was first introduced in 1992 by Kierkegaard and recently used by Kaytanli & Valentine. In the present article, we modify the approach by using the phase coding studied by Cicconet, and by adding a “local contributor list” (LCL) as well as a “used contributor matrix” (UCM), which allow for accurate peak detection and exploitation. These changes help make the GAT algorithm a robust and precise method to automatically detect pseudo-circular objects in a microscopic image. We then present an application of the method to cell counting in microbiological images.

In this study, the cross-section of electron-selective titanium oxide (TiO2) contacts for n-type crystalline silicon solar cells were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It was revealed that the excellent cell efficiency of 21.6% obtained on n-type cells, featuring SiO2/TiO2/Al rear contacts and after forming gas annealing (FGA) at 350°C, is due to strong surface passivation of SiO2/TiO2 stack as well as low contact resistivity at the Si/SiO2/TiO2 heterojunction. This can be attributed to the transformation of amorphous TiO2 to a conducting TiO2−x phase. Conversely, the low efficiency (9.8%) obtained on cells featuring an a-Si:H/TiO2/Al rear contact is due to severe degradation of passivation of the a-Si:H upon FGA.

Plastic deformation of micron-scale crystalline materials differs considerably from bulk samples as it is characterized by stochastic strain bursts. To obtain a detailed picture of the intermittent deformation phenomena, numerous micron-sized specimens must be fabricated and tested. An improved focused ion beam fabrication method is proposed to prepare non-tapered micropillars with excellent control over their shape. Moreover, the fabrication time is less compared with other methods. The in situ compression device developed in our laboratory allows high-accuracy sample positioning and force/displacement measurements with high data sampling rates. The collective avalanche-like motion of the dislocations is observed as stress decreases on the stress–strain curves. An acoustic emission (AE) technique was employed for the first time to study the deformation behavior of micropillars. The AE technique provides important additional in situ information about the underlying processes during plastic deformation and is especially sensitive to the collective avalanche-like motion of the dislocations observed as the stress decreases on the deformation curves.

Approximately 30 years after the first use of focused ion beam (FIB) instruments to prepare atom probe tomography specimens, this technique has grown to be used by hundreds of researchers around the world. This past decade has seen tremendous advances in atom probe applications, enabled by the continued development of FIB-based specimen preparation methodologies. In this work, we provide a short review of the origin of the FIB method and the standard methods used today for lift-out and sharpening, using the annular milling method as applied to atom probe tomography specimens. Key steps for enabling correlative analysis with transmission electron-beam backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography are presented, and strategies for preparing specimens for modern microelectronic device structures are reviewed and discussed in detail. Examples are used for discussion of the steps for each of these methods. We conclude with examples of the challenges presented by complex topologies such as nanowires, nanoparticles, and organic materials.

Studies of dislocation density evolution are fundamental to improved understanding in various areas of deformation mechanics. Recent advances in cross-correlation techniques, applied to electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data have particularly shed light on geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) behavior. However, the framework is relatively computationally expensive—patterns are typically saved from the EBSD scan and analyzed offline. A better understanding of the impact of EBSD pattern degradation, such as binning, compression, and various forms of noise, is vital to enable optimization of rapid and low-cost GND analysis. This paper tackles the problem by setting up a set of simulated patterns that mimic real patterns corresponding to a known GND field. The patterns are subsequently degraded in terms of resolution and noise, and the GND densities calculated from the degraded patterns using cross-correlation ESBD are compared with the known values. Some confirmation of validity of the computational degradation of patterns by considering real pattern degradation is also undertaken. The results demonstrate that the EBSD technique is not particularly sensitive to lower levels of binning and image compression, but the precision is sensitive to Poisson-type noise. Some insight is also gained concerning effects of mixed patterns at a grain boundary on measured GND content.

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based heating holders offer exceptional control of temperature and heating/cooling rates for transmission electron microscopy experiments. The use of such devices is relatively straightforward for nano-particulate samples, but the preparation of specimens from bulk samples by focused ion beam (FIB) milling presents significant challenges. These include: poor mechanical integrity and site selectivity of the specimen, ion beam damage to the specimen and/or MEMS device during thinning, and difficulties in transferring the specimen onto the MEMS device. Here, we describe a novel FIB protocol for the preparation and transfer of specimens from bulk samples, which involves a specimen geometry that provides mechanical support to the electron-transparent region, while maximizing the area of that region and the contact area with the heater plate on the MEMS chip. The method utilizes an inclined stage block that minimizes exposure of the chip to the ion beam during milling. This block also allows for accurate and gentle placement of the FIB-cut specimen onto the chip by using simultaneous electron and ion beam imaging during transfer. Preliminary data from Si and Ag on Si samples are presented to demonstrate the quality of the specimens that can be obtained and their stability during in situ heating experiments.

High-quality color output from digital photocopiers and laser printers is in strong demand, motivating attempts to achieve fine dot reproducibility and stability. The resolution of a digital photocopier depends on the charge density distribution on the organic photoconductor surface; however, directly measuring the charge density distribution is impossible. In this study, we propose a new electron optical instrument that can rapidly measure the electrostatic latent image on an organic photoconductor surface, which is a dielectric surface, as well as a novel method to quantitatively estimate the charge density distribution on a dielectric surface by combining experimental data obtained from the apparatus via a computer simulation. In the computer simulation, an improved three-dimensional boundary charge density method (BCM) is used for electric field analysis in the vicinity of the dielectric material with a charge density distribution. This method enables us to estimate the profile and quantity of the charge density distribution on a dielectric surface with a resolution of the order of microns. Furthermore, the surface potential on the dielectric surface can be immediately calculated using the obtained charge density. This method enables the relation between the charge pattern on the organic photoconductor surface and toner particle behavior to be studied; an understanding regarding the same may lead to the development of a new generation of higher resolution photocopiers.

A detailed microstructural evaluation was executed on the crystallographic texture as well as the mechanisms for nucleation, phase transformation, and grain growth in a Al0.7CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy. The microstructure and crystallographic orientations were characterized by electron backscatter diffraction, and the chemical composition variations by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The cast Al0.7CoCrFeNi alloy started in the BCC phase and partially transformed into the FCC phase. It was found that the Pitsch orientation relationship (OR) dominates the nucleation mechanism of the FCC phase; however, deviations with respect to the Pitsch OR are observed and are attributed to the differently sized atoms forming an ordered B2 phase in the alloy causing lattice distortions. The dual phase BCC–FCC microstructure contains FCC Widmanstätten plates oriented parallel to the {110}BCC planes of the parent grain. It was found that the crystal orientation distribution after the BCC–FCC phase transformation is confined and is explained as a product of the governing mechanisms.

A detailed knowledge of the atomic structure of magnetic semiconductors is crucial to understanding their electronic and magnetic properties, which could enable spintronic applications. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) in the scanning transmission electron microscope and atom probe tomography (APT) experiments reveal the formation of Cr-rich regions in Cd1−x Cr x Te layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. These Cr-rich regions occur on a length scale of 6–10 nm at a nominal Cr composition of x=0.034 and evolve toward an ellipsoidal shape oriented along <111> directions at a composition of x=0.083. Statistical analysis of the APT reconstructed volume reveals that the Cr aggregation increases with the average Cr composition. The correlation with the magnetic properties of such (Cd,Cr)Te layers is discussed within the framework of strongly inhomogeneous materials. Finally, difficulties in accurately quantifying the Cr distribution in the CdTe matrix on an atomic scale by EDX and APT are discussed.

This article reviews recent advances utilizing field-ion microscopy (FIM) to extract atomic-scale three-dimensional images of materials. This capability is not new, as the first atomic-scale reconstructions of features utilizing FIM were demonstrated decades ago. The rise of atom probe tomography, and the application of this latter technique in place of FIM has unfortunately severely limited further FIM development. Currently, the ubiquitous availability of extensive computing power makes it possible to treat and reconstruct FIM data digitally and this development allows the image sequences obtained utilizing FIM to be extremely valuable for many material science and engineering applications. This article demonstrates different applications of these capabilities, focusing on its use in physical metallurgy and semiconductor science and technology.

Quantitative analysis of multicellular organization, cell–cell junction integrity, and substrate properties is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying collective cell migration. However, spatially and temporally defining these properties is difficult within collectively migrating cell groups due to challenges in accurate cell segmentation within the monolayer. In this paper, we present Matlab®-based algorithms to spatially quantify multicellular organization (migration distance, interface roughness, and cell alignment, area, and morphology), cell–cell junction integrity, and substrate features in confocal microscopy images of two-dimensional collectively migrating endothelial monolayers. We used novel techniques, including measuring the migrating front roughness using a parametric curve formulation, automatically binning cells to obtain data as a function of distance from the migrating front, using iterative morphological closings to fully define cell boundaries, quantifying β-catenin localization as a measure of cell–cell junction integrity, and skeletonizing fibronectin to determine fiber length and orientation. These algorithms are widely accessible, as they use common fluorescent markers and Matlab® functions, and provide high-throughput critical feature quantification within collectively migrating cell groups. These image analysis algorithms can help standardize feature quantification among different experimental techniques, cell types, and research groups studying collective cell migration.