Imaging properties of bright-field and annular-dark-field scanning confocal electron microscopy

K Mitsuishi; A Hashimoto; M Takeguchi; M Shimojo; K Ishizuka

doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2010.08.004

Imaging properties of bright-field and annular-dark-field scanning confocal electron microscopy

Ultramicroscopy. 2010 Dec;111(1):20-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2010.08.004.

Authors

K Mitsuishi¹, A Hashimoto, M Takeguchi, M Shimojo, K Ishizuka

Affiliation

¹ Quantum Dot Research Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 3-13 Sakura, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan. Mitsuishi.Kazutaka@nims.go.jp

PMID: 21111263
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2010.08.004

Abstract

Imaging properties of scanning confocal electron microscopy (SCEM) were studied by calculating simple model systems using the multislice method. A simple geometrical explanation was given, particularly for the difference between bright field (BF) and annular dark field (ADF) SCEM. It is demonstrated that the BF-SCEM image contrast consists of two features. One gradually changes over a wide defocus range and depends on the lateral size of the object. Another appears only near the focus and is independent of sample size. On the contrary, ADF-SCEM image contrast does not depend on the lateral size of the object. Therefore, the ADF-SCEM will provide more readily interpretable image contrast.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't