Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
By applying the technique of Z-contrast imaging to the study of a GaAs/AlGaAs multilayer using a newly developed 300kV scanning transmission electron microscope, we show that it is possible to directly observe the interlocking group III and group V sub-lattices on a column-by-column level. In addition to the direct observation of structural polarity in the [110] orientation, we show that, by using a maximum entropy approach to image processing, the experimentally acquired data can provide direct information on interface structures at atomic resolution.