Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

Course No.: EEE 463

Course Title: Introduction to
Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics

Presented by: Group 3

Student ID:
1906014, 1906044, 1906055, 1906059,
1906081,1906086, 1906108,
1906120, 1906181, 1906186
 Introduction

TEM is a powerful imaging technique

that uses transmission electrons

instead of light to observe ultra-thin

samples at Nano scale resolutions.

Historical Development

• Developed in the 1930s by

Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll

• First successful TEM in 1931

Comparison between
SEM & TEM
SEM
• 3D surface imaging

• Lower resolution

TEM
• 2D Cross-sectional imaging

• Higher resolution

• Detailed internal structures

High Resolution TEM (HRTEM)
• Developed in the 2005 by
Carl Zeiss

• A specialized form of TEM

that provides even higher
resolution (0.07 nm)

• Enables detailed imaging of

crystal lattices and
individual atoms
Basic Working Principle

• Field Emission Gun produces a single electron beam.

• Anode accelerates electron beam towards the sample through vacuum tube.

• Heavy atoms within sample absorb more electron, transmit less electron

• Light atoms within sample absorb less electron, transmit more electron.

• Electromagnetic lenses amplify variation of electron transmission.

• Bright or dark image on fluorescent screen as per transmitted or diffracted beam.

• CCD camera captures as a digital image.

Schematic of TEM:
1. Electron Gun
2. Anode
3. Condenser Aperture
4. Condenser Lens
5. Objective Lens
6. Sample Holder
7. Objective aperture
8. Intermediate Lens
9. Projector Lens
10. Viewing Screen
11. CCD Camera
Different components of TEM:
• Filament: A field emission gun (FEG) is placed inside a casing (a Wehnelt cylinder)
which emits the electron beam. This is a very high voltage setup of around 100-
400 keV. The wavelength of the beam is in the picometer range and therefore the
energy of the beam is very high. A Tungsten tip is used for emission of electron.
Different components of TEM:
• Anode: It has the form of a disk with an axial hole and is
used to accelerate the electron beam.
• Apertures: Fixed aperture and variable condenser apertures
are available. They’re used to control the beams so that
they’re collimated. They can also be used to observe
transmitted beam (bright field) or diffracted beam (dark
field) or both simultaneously.
• Sample: The sample in TEM needs to be ultra thin for better
transmission. It requires months of training for sample
preparation. The cross section of the sample is observed
through the TEM. Sample preparation is a manual process
that requires grinding, polishing and other complicated
processes. Fig: Part of sample preparation
procedure of TEM
Schematic of TEM:
Different components of TEM:

• Intermediate and Projector lenses: The intermediate

and projector lenses magnify the image or diffraction
pattern onto the viewing screen.These are electro
magnetic lenses. Wire coils surround the beam and
produce a field that generates a deflecting force on
the electrons. Each lens is constructed of a coil of
copper wire through which a current runs. There is a
hole in the center through which the beam travels.
Magnetic lenses allow the user to change
magnification and focus of the beam.
Different components of TEM:
Detectors:
Different detectors may be used to capture various
signals, such as transmitted electrons (bright-field
imaging), diffracted electrons (electron diffraction),
and secondary electrons (scanning TEM or
STEM).We record images digitally using cameras
that can be mounted either above or below the
viewing screen. Diffraction work is often carried out
on cameras above the viewing screen, and high
resolution imaging tends to be carried out using the
under-mount camera
Different components of TEM:
CCD Camera: A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a
light-sensitive integrated circuit that captures
images by converting photons to electrons. A CCD
sensor breaks the image elements into pixels. Each
pixel is converted into an electrical charge whose
intensity is related to the intensity of light captured
by that pixel.
The resolution of a good TEM is around 0.2 nm. HRTEM- Developed by Zeiss,
resolution of 0.07 nm with a 300 KeV field emission gun.
The CCD was invented in 1969 at Bell Labs (now part of Nokia) by George Smith and
Willard Boyle.In the 1970s Michael F. Tompsett, also with Bell Labs, refined the CCD's
design to better accommodate imaging.
TEM Image Collection(Bright Field)
Transmitted beam imaging focuses
on the electrons that pass through
the specimen, forming an image
based on electron density
variations.

Fig: TEM image of a tissue paper sample in bright field mode

TEM Image Collection(Dark Field)
Diffracted beam imaging involves forming an
image based on the diffraction pattern
produced by electrons interacting with the
crystal lattice of the specimen.

Fig: TEM image of a tissue paper sample in dark field mode

TEM Image Collection

Transmitted beam imaging provides

high-resolution internal structure
details, while diffracted beam imaging
provides information about the crystal
structure of the specimen.
 Structure of STEM
• A combination of SEM and
TEM
• A transmission image is
obtained using a scanning
method
• A TEM can be modified into
an STEM by the addition of a
system that scans a focused
beam across the specimen
to form the image.
 Main Components of STEM
Objective Lens : The beam coming off the gun is demagnified by the objective
lens.

Specimen: Specimen must be ultra thin. The beam falling on the sample
produces a diffraction pattern.

Intermediate Aperture : Electron beam trajectories are varied by the aperture.

Detectors: A Bright Field Detector along with an Annular Dark Field Detector is
present in every STEM.
STEM DETECTORS:
The electrons contributing to STEM images can be finely controlled by
varying the camera length and inserting various detectors. STEM detectors
function the same way objective apertures do in TEM.
Bright-field (BF):

The BF detector sits on-axis and

collects electrons contributing to
the central disk in the CBED
pattern. A typical acceptance
angle for the BF detector is half
of α. BF-STEM images are
analogous to phase-contrast
images in TEM and can provide
high-resolution information with
enhanced contrast of light
elements.
Annular dark
field (ADF):
ADF images are acquired
using a ring-shaped
detector that surrounds the
BF detector so that a large
portion of the Bragg-
diffracted electrons are
collected. These images
are complementary to the
BF-STEM images in terms
of contrast.
STEM Dark Field Imaging
Displaced Aperture

❑ The dark field images may also be formed by the

displacement of the aperture.
❑ It allows only a specific diffracted beam to pass
through(marked 1, 2,3,… etc.)
❑ Deflection coils placed after the sample are used
to direct the chosen part of the diffraction pattern
to the entrance aperture of the spectrometer
 Application of STEM
Annular Dark Field Imaging

A typical STEM imaging example will record a 2D grid of probe positions, forming a
2D image from each of the single-pixel detectors.
Application of STEM
Diffraction
Application of STEM
Tomography
Thank You