eV-TEM: transmission electron microscopy with few-eV electrons

Doctoral Thesis

Electron microscopy has become an extremely important technique
in a wide variety of elds. The resolving power is vastly superior
to light microscopes and electron microscopy has proven to
be valuable in elds ranging from archaeology and geology to biology and
condensed-matter physics.
A major disadvantage is that the electron energy used in conventional Electron
Microscopy (EM) ranges from 10’s to 100’s of keV. Such energetic electrons
can signicantly damage the specimen. This is especially relevant in the
study of biological samples and organic materials in general. Major eorts are
being made to avoid this radiation damage from interfering with the study
of such materials. There are several approaches to minimize damage in EM.
These include developing better detectors such that lower electron doses are
sucient to form an image, and lowering the electron energies to several keV.
In this dissertation I present the...Show moreElectron microscopy has become an extremely important technique
in a wide variety of elds. The resolving power is vastly superior
to light microscopes and electron microscopy has proven to
be valuable in elds ranging from archaeology and geology to biology and
condensed-matter physics.
A major disadvantage is that the electron energy used in conventional Electron
Microscopy (EM) ranges from 10’s to 100’s of keV. Such energetic electrons
can signicantly damage the specimen. This is especially relevant in the
study of biological samples and organic materials in general. Major eorts are
being made to avoid this radiation damage from interfering with the study
of such materials. There are several approaches to minimize damage in EM.
These include developing better detectors such that lower electron doses are
sucient to form an image, and lowering the electron energies to several keV.
In this dissertation I present the development of, and measurements with, a
transmission electron microscope that uses electron energies ve orders of
magnitude lower than in conventional Transmission Electron Microscopes
(TEMs). The energies we use are in the order of a few eV. Hence, we call our
technique ’eV-TEM’.Show less

Electron microscopy

Graphene

Phsyics

Low-energy electrons

LEEM

Condensed matter physics