Quantitative ADF STEM: Acquisition, analysis and interpretation

Abstract

Quantitative annular dark-field in the scanning transmission electron microscope (ADF STEM), where image intensities are used to provide composition and thickness measurements, has enjoyed a renaissance during the last decade. Now in a post aberration-correction era many aspects of the technique are being revisited. Here the recent progress and emerging best-practice for such aberration corrected quantitative ADF STEM is discussed including issues relating to proper acquisition of experimental data and its calibration, approaches for data analysis, the utility of such data, its interpretation and limitations.