Work

A refinable three-parameter equation for phenomenological absorption in quantitative electron microscopy – determining the equation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A three-term equation for phenomenological absorption of electron beams in materials is derived for use in quantitative transmission electron microscopy simulations. This is motivated by differential quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction (QCBED) using CBED patterns that have not been electron-optically energy filtered. As a starting point, this three-parameter function reproduces inelastic scattering factors generated by the ubiquitous ATOM subroutine of Bird & King [ Acta Cryst. (1990), A 46 , 202–208] to within a few per cent, spanning elements Z = 1 to 98, Debye–Waller parameters from B = 0.05 Å 2 to B = 2.0 Å 2 , scattering angles from s = 0 Å −1 to s = 6.0 Å −1 and electron energies from E 0 = 1 keV to E 0 = 1 MeV. As such, it is applicable to zero-energy-loss electron-optically filtered pattern matching for which the Bird and King ATOM subroutine was designed. Crucially, the coefficients of the three terms in the present equation can be refined to produce inelastic scattering factors with differing local and non-local contributions, which are better suited to unfiltered differential QCBED pattern matching.

Source: Journal of Applied Crystallography

DOI: 10.1107/s160057672500545x

Authors: Philip N. H. Nakashima, Tianyu Liu, Andrew E. Smith, Laure Bourgeois

Institutions: Monash University, Tohoku University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Structural Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,110

Funders: Monash University, Australian Research Council, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University