High Speed and Sensitive X-ray Analysis System with Automated Aberration Correction Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Abstract

We have developed a new HD-2700 (Hitachi High-Technologies Corp., Japan) scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) that includes an automatic aberration correction function, and a large-solid-angle energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector that enables high-resolution and sensitive analysis. For observation with atomic resolution, using spherical-aberration-corrected STEM, in order that satisfactory performance of the device can be achieved readily, and within a short time, irrespective of the operator’s skill level, a spherical-aberration-correction device with an automatic aberration-correction function was developed. This automatic aberration-correction function carries out the entire correction-related process (aberration measurement, selection and correction) automatically, with automatic selection of the aberrations that require correction, and automatic measurement of the appropriate corrections. Key