Scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging dynamics at low accelerating voltages

Motivated by the desire to minimize specimen damage in beam sensitive specimens, there has been a recent push toward using relatively low accelerating voltages ( <100 kV) in scanning transmission electron microscopy. To complement experimental efforts on this front, this paper seeks to explore the variations with accelerating voltage of the imaging dynamics, both of the channelling of the fast electron and of the inelastic interactions. High-angle annular-dark field, electron energy loss spectroscopic imaging and annular bright field imaging are all considered. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.