Abstract
Beam-induced heating effect on nanoscale samples is a crucial question, as it strongly influences the interpretation of observed unusual behaviours. This question is currently under debate without a convincing conclusion. Here, using silver nitride (Ag3N) nanoparticles as temperature labels, we perform an investigation on this heating effect inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM) under normal imaging conditions. Combined with experimental measurements and semi-quantitative calculations, a temperature increase of more than 100 K is estimated and confirmed in the graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) films. Strong temperature gradients are found to exist in the single-end fixed g-C3N4 films. The influencing factors of heat accumulation are also investigated and discussed. Findings in this study may shed some light on the understanding of the abnormal behaviours of nano-objects observed inside TEM.
Highlights
Transmission electron microscope (TEM) is one of the most powerful equipment used to characterize materials for their structures, phases, compositions, and properties
Using silver nitride (Ag 3 N) nanoparticles as temperature labels, we perform an investigation on this heating effect inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM) under normal imaging conditions
Aside from such notable shape changes, the temperature effect is very often doubted to play a role in many other behaviors observed in TEM, e.g. the abnormal deformation behaviors of nanoscale metals, semiconductors and oxides [11], the phase transitions in nanowires and nano-belts [12], the reconstruction and recrystallizations in amorphous nanoparticles [13, 14]
Summary
Transmission electron microscope (TEM) is one of the most powerful equipment used to characterize materials for their structures, phases, compositions, and properties. The elastic or inelastic interactions between high-energy electrons and specimen atoms enable precise determination of atom arrangements and elemental distributions, providing deep insight into the material structures and related properties In terms of these interactions, significant side-effects usually co-occur during TEM observation and imaging, including sputtering [1], amorphization [2], ionization [3], carbonization [4], local heating [5], etc. Asoro et al reported that even for metal nanoparticles supported on carbon films, a temperature increase of 58 K was estimated to be induced by the electron beam during normal imaging [18] All these investigations imply that the temperature effect during TEM imaging is somehow inevitable. The decomposition of the Ag3N nanoparticles can serve as temperature labels, providing a direct profile of the temperature distribution in the g-C3N4 film induced by electron irradiation
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