APPLICATIONS
Multimodal Chemical and Crystallographic Characterization of Carbon Nanotube encapsulated Metal Particles
Precise identification of both structure and chemistry on the nanoscale can be leveraged to advance research into the next generation of engineering materials, across industry and academia. This TESCAN TENSOR application note provides an example of multimodal chemical and crystallographic characterisation of metal particles encapsulated within carbon nanotubes.
By combining STEM imaging, nanobeam diffraction with crystal orientation analysis (4D-STEM) and EDX mapping, we can work towards a comprehensive understanding of this material system. This application note was produced in collaboration with Prof. Andy Brown and Dr. Zabeada Aslam of Leeds University (UK).
Phase and Orientation Analysis of Bismuth Germanium Oxide (BGO) on Evaporated Aluminum
TESCAN TENSOR provides 4D STEM capabilities enabling fast nanoscale phase and orientation analysis. In this technical note, the methodology of phase and orientation analysis is described, subjected to dropcasted BGO (Bi12GeO20) on evaporated aluminum. BGO has a relatively large lattice parameter of 10.1Å, and Al a much smaller lattice parameter of 4.1Å, revealing clearly differentiated electron diffraction patterns due to this large difference in lattice parameter.
Phase and Orientation of BGO is measured from a scanning diffraction dataset, by matching the acquired electron diffraction patterns with BGO and Al templates, for each pixel in the dataset. It is shown how precession electron diffraction (PED) improves the confidence of indexing, by enhancing the number of reflections in the diffraction pattern, leading to greater differentiation of the information contained in the patterns acquired from the two phases.
Deformation behavior in Ni-based superalloys revealed by 4D-STEM crystal orientation analysis
This application note presents a study into Vickers indentation induced plastic deformation in Nickel superalloys. Precession assisted 4D-STEM with automated crystal orientation analysis was used to investigate deformation induced, nanoscale grain re-orientation, in a site-specific FIB prepared specimen.
Fast acquisitions, and on-the fly-processing enabled measurements to be optimized, and specimen areas to be localized, in a near real-time iterative manner, which vastly increases measurement and microscope time efficiency. This application note was prepared in collaboration with Sicong Lin and Prof. Kai Chen from State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China, as well as Penghan Lu and Prof. Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski at the Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons FZ Jülich, Germany.
4D-STEM phase and orientation analysis of lithium-ion battery anode materials
The differentiation of lithium phosphates in battery anodes is a challenging task due to the relatively similar elemental compositions of the different phosphate phases. In this application note we show how TESCAN TENSOR’s 4D-STEM phase analysis, using precession electron diffraction patterns, helps to improve the differentiation of these phases. The distribution and relative orientation relationship between different phases in the battery anode can be easily deduced using this analysis.
We also show how titanium oxide particles are preferentially distributed along phosphate particle grain boundaries. This application note is prepared with Dr. Roland Schierholz and Prof. Rüdiger-A. Eichel at the Institute for Energy and Climate Research, FZ Jülich, Germany, as well as Penghan Lu and Prof. Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski at the Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, FZ Jülich, Germany.
