Atomic resolution STEM analysis of defects and interfaces in ceramic materials

Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis, in particular the combination of Z-contrast imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) has been successfully used to measure the atomic and electronic structure of materials with subnanometer spatial resolution. Furthermore, the combination of this incoherent imaging technique with EELS allows us to correlate certain structural features, such as defects or interfaces directly with the measured changes in the local electronic fine-structure. In this review, we will discuss the experimental procedures for achieving high-resolution Z-contrast imaging and EELS. We will describe the alignment and experimental setup for high-resolution STEM analysis and also describe some of our recent results where the combined use of atomic-resolution Z-contrast imaging and column-by-column EELS has helped solve important materials science problems. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.