|
Title
|
|
|
|
Toward fast and dose efficient electron tomography
| |
|
Author
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
| During the last decades, engineered nanoscale materials have become a common occurrence in available products and their functionalities are well spread across many topics. The specific properties of nanosystems are very often sensitive to their 3D structure. Therefore, for the development of nanomaterials geared towards specific applications there is an urgent need for fast and accurate 3D characterisation tools. One indispensable tool to study nanomaterials is transmission electron microscopy (TEM). State‐of‐the‐art TEM conventionally only results in 2D projections of 3D objects. Therefore, “electron tomography” was developed as a technique to investigate the 3D structure of nanomaterials. The approach is based on the acquisition of multiple 2D TEM images along different tilt angles. Next, these images are aligned and used as an input for a mathematical reconstruction algorithm that enables one to obtain the 3D structure of the original object. Although electron tomography yields very precise and local information on the 3D structure of nanoparticles, it is far from straightforward to obtain 3D information that can be considered as an averaged or statistically relevant result. This is a major drawback when trying to connect the properties of the nanoparticles to their 3D structure, which is crucial in order to obtain a general understanding concerning their structure‐activity relations. Currently, such studies cannot be performed due to the fact that both the acquisition of the tilt series and the 3D reconstruction are very time consuming. Obviously, one of the emerging challenges in the field of electron tomography is to increase the throughput of 3D reconstructions of nanoparticles. Here I will present novel techniques, aimed to reduce the run time of electron tomography experiments in order to enable high‐throughput and quasi real‐time characterisation of nanostructures. Such high‐throughput electron tomography experiments will yield statistically relevant 3D information concerning critical properties of nanomaterials. By developing acquisition methodologies that enable us to acquire a tomographic tilt series within several minutes, a plethora of new applications will become possible. Fast acquisition methodologies will also decrease the electron dose and/or dose rate, therefore lowering the harmful influence of the electron beam. In addition, by optimising the alignment and reconstruction processes, quasi real‐time 3D imaging at the electron microscope will come within reach. In this manner, the efficiency and applicability of 3D studies will improve and allow the user to dynamically steer ongoing (in-situ) tomographic experiments. |
| |
|
Language
|
|
|
|
English
| |
|
Publication
|
|
|
|
Antwerpen
:
Universiteit Antwerpen, Faculteit Wetenschappen, Departement Fysica
,
2020
| |
|
Volume/pages
|
|
|
|
207 p.
| |
|
Note
|
|
|
|
:
Bals, Sara [Supervisor]
| |
|
Full text (open access)
|
|
|
|
| |
|