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Team Develops Electron Microscope with 0.5-Å Resolution

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David L. Shenkenberg

Although studying how atoms come together to form matter is a central goal of science, it is difficult to study the particles because they measure only about 1 Å. For reference, 500,000 to one million angstroms comprise the width of an average strand of human hair, and the diameter of a DNA helix measures approximately 20 Å.

An electron microscope now has achieved 0.5-Å resolution. It was developed by several national laboratories of the US Department of Energy, by FEI Company in Hillsboro, Ore., and by Corrected Electron Optical Systems GmbH (CEOS) in Heidelberg, Germany, as part of the Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscope (TEAM) project.

The researchers employed an FEI Titan scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with CEOS-designed spherical aberration correctors, which improved the stability of the microscope.

The scientists achieved 0.5-Å resolution in both transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy modes, and they sometimes reached even better resolution using the latter mode. The resolution is the highest ever reached, according to FEI.

By allowing studies of how matter forms, particularly how atoms combine to form matter, and how atoms and matter respond to external factors, the microscope will enable design improvements for numerous purposes, including more efficient energy harvesting, faster and lighter automobiles, and sturdier buildings.
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Published: November 2007
Glossary
electron microscope
A device utilizing an electron beam for the observation and recording of submicroscopic samples with the aid of photographic emulsions or other short-wavelength sensors. With the electron microscope, the maximum useful magnification is over 300,000.
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
atomsDNAelectron microscopeFeaturesMicroscopyphotonics

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