• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2017

We propose a custom analysis technique for the dark field (DF) image based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The custom analysis technique is developed based on the $DigitalMicrograph^{(R)}$ (DM) script language embedded in the Gatan digital microscopy software, which is used as the operational software for most TEM instruments. The developed software automatically scans an electron beam across a TEM sample and records a series of electron diffraction patterns. The recorded electron diffraction patterns provide DF and ADF images based on digital image processing. An experimental electron diffraction pattern is recorded from a IrMn polycrystal consisting of fine nanograins in order to test the proposed software. We demonstrate that the developed image processing technique well resolves nanograins of ~ 5 nm in diameter.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.138-143
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• 2014

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) is an excellent tool for studying the structure and properties of nanostructured materials. As the development of $C_s$-corrected TEM, the direct analysis of atomic structures of nanostructured materials can be performed in the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Especially, fast Fourier transform (FFT) technique in image processing is very useful way to determine the crystal structure of HRTEM images in reciprocal space. To apply FFT technique in HRTEM analysis in more reasonable and friendly manner, we made a new circular region of interest (C-ROI) FFT script and tested it for several HRTEM analysis. Consequentially, it was proved that the new FFT application shows more quantitative and clearer results than conventional FFT script by removing the streaky artifacts in FFT pattern images. Finally, it is expected that the new FFT script gives great advantages for quantitative interpretation of HRTEM images of many nanostructured materials.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2016

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful tool for analyzing a broad range of materials and provides localized information about the microstructure. However, the analysis results are strongly influenced by the quality of the thin foil specimen. Sample preparation for TEM analysis requires considerable skill, especially when the area of interest is small or the material of interest is difficult to thin because of its high hardness and its mechanical instability when thinned. This article selectively reviews recent advances in TEM sample preparation techniques using a tripod polisher. In particular, it introduces two typical types (fl at type and wedge type) of TEM sample preparation and the benefits and drawbacks of each method; finally, a method of making better samples for TEM analysis is suggested.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.19.1-19.7
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• 2021

The main purpose of this paper is the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples from the microsized powders of lithium-ion secondary batteries. To avoid artefacts during TEM sample preparation, the use of ion slicer milling for thinning and maintaining the intrinsic structure is described. Argon-ion milling techniques have been widely examined to make optimal specimens, thereby making TEM analysis more reliable. In the past few years, the correction of spherical aberration (Cs) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has been developing rapidly, which results in direct observation at an atomic level resolution not only at a high acceleration voltage but also at a deaccelerated voltage. In particular, low-kV application has markedly increased, which requires a sufficiently transparent specimen without structural distortion during the sample preparation process. In this study, sample preparation for high-resolution STEM observation is accomplished, and investigations on the crystal integrity are carried out by Cs-corrected STEM.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.8.1-8.7
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• 2021

Growing demands for comprehending complicated nano-scale phenomena in atomic resolution has attracted in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques for understanding their dynamics. However, simple to safe TEM sample preparation for in-situ observation has been limited. Here, we suggested the optical microscopy based micro-manipulating system for transferring TEM samples. By adopting our manipulator system, several types of samples from nano-wires to plate-like thin samples were transferred on micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) chip in a single step. Furthermore, the control of electrostatic force between the sample and the probe tip is found to be a key role in transferring process.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2018

Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) allows us to perform structural analysis of a analyses of large protein complexes, which are difficult to analyze using X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance. The most common examples of proteins used are ribosomes and proteasomes. In this paper, we briefly describe the advantage of cryo-TEM and the process of two-dimensional classification by considering a human proteasome as an example.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.203-207
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• 2015

Sample preparation is very important for crystal structure analysis of novel nanostructured materials in electron microscopy. Generally, a grid dispersion method has been used as transmission electron microscope (TEM) sampling method of nano-powder samples. However, it is difficult to obtain the cross-sectional information for the tabular-structured materials. In order to solve this problem, we have attempted a new sample preparation method using focused ion beam. Base on this approach, it was possible to successfully obtain the electron diffraction patterns and high-resolution TEM images of the cross-section of tabular structure. Finally, we were able to obtain three-dimensional crystallographic information of novel zeolite nano-crystal of the tabular morphology by applying the new sample preparation technique.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.108-120
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• 1991

Principles of electron diffraction patterns in transmission electron microscope are described for beginners in terms of reciprocal lattices and Ewald sphere. Analysis of both ring patterns and spot patterns are illustrated with practical examples as well as basic calibrations of TEM. Especially convergent beam electron diffraction method is emphasized for the determination of lattice parameters, microstrains, and thickness of thin foil followed by a review of microcomputer programs for the electron diffraction analyses explained in this paper.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.788-792
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• 2013

A shortcoming of using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for structural analysis via electron diffraction is the relatively large error of the measurements as compared to X-ray diffraction. To reduce these errors, various internal standard methods from earlier studies have been widely used. We developed a new device to facilitate the application of internal standard methods in preparation of TEM grids used for nanopowder analysis. Through the application of a partial mask on the TEM grid, both the internal standards and the research materials can be loaded on the same grid. Through this process, we conducted a TEM analysis that compared synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanopowder to bone apatite from a bovine femur. We determined that the accuracy of the d-spacing measurements of the HAp and bone powders could be improved to better than 1% after statistical treatments of the experimental data. By applying a quarter mask, we loaded four different nanoparticles on a single TEM grid, with one section designated for the internal standard.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2017

A new method was introduced to distinguish the ferrite, bainite and martensite in transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). EBSD is a very powerful microstructure analysis technique at the length scales ranging from tens of nanometers to millimeters. However, iron BCC phases such as ferrite, bainite and martensite cannot be easily distinguished by EBSD due to their similar surface morphology and crystallographic structure. Among the various EBSD-based methodology, image quality (IQ) values, which present the perfection of a crystal lattice, was used to distinguish the iron BCC phases. IQ values are very useful tools to discern the iron BCC phases because of their different density of crystal defect and lattice distortion. However, there are still remaining problems that make the separation of bainite and martensite difficult. For instance, these phases have very similar IQ values in many cases, especially in deformed region; therefore, even though the IQ value was used, it has been difficult to distinguish the bainite and martensite. For more precise separation of bainite and martensite, IQ threshold values were determined by a correlative TEM analysis. By determining the threshold values, iron BCC phases were successfully separated.