February 18, 2015
Development of an Atomic-Resolution Holography Electron Microscope with the World's Highest Point Resolution (43 picometers)
Hitachi, Ltd. today announced that it has developed an atomic-resolution holography electron microscope accelerated at a 1.2-megavolt ("MV") under the government-sponsored FIRST Program project named "Development and Application of an Atomic-resolution Holography Electron Microscope", and has achieved the world's highest point resolution of 43 picometers ("pm"), i.e., 43 trillionths of a meter.
For performance evaluation of the developed electron microscope, its information transfer, indicating a specimen fine structures transfer capability to its camera, was measured by using a tungsten single crystal. The results indicated that the electron microscope can transfer crystal-structure information of a world-finest resolution of 43 pm under the corrected spherical aberration condition. Furthermore, gallium-nitride (GaN) single crystal observation showed the atomic resolution of 44 pm, i.e., isolated gallium atoms with a spacing of 44 pm were clearly shown. This result demonstrates that the developed electron microscope can visualize specimen structures and electromagnetic fields at the atomic level.
Ongoing forward, Hitachi will collaborate with world-first-class research institutes, and will use the developed holography electron microscope to study quantum phenomena of emergent materials by measuring their electric and magnetic fields at the atomic scale, for example, high-performance magnets, large-capacity rechargeable batteries, low-power-consumption memory devices, and high-temperature superconductors. And in doing so, Hitachi will contribute to the advancement of quantum mechanics, condensed-matter physics, materials science and technology, and other fields while developing new materials that will support a sustainable society.
Appearance of an atomic-resolution holography electron microscope
