Ultrahigh-Vacuum Field-Emission Electron Microscope as Applied to Observation and Analysis of Crystal Surface

Abstract

UHV(ultrahigh-vacuum) TEM has long been used as a powerful tool for studying crystal surfaces, particularly for both the direct imaging of the surface structure and for in-situ observation of surface reaction processes with atomic resolution.This paper reports a newly developed 200kV UHV TEM equipped with a field emission gun(FEG). The instrument is designed to obtain information about elemental or bonding states of surfaces in addition to observation of surface atomic structure with high contrast. Basic performances of the UHV FE-TEM includes a specimen vacuum of 2.0X10-8Pa, probe size less than 1.0nm Ø with 0.5nA probe current, point-to-point resolution of 0.21 nm, and a lattice resolution of 0.10nm.A UHV Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDS) originally developed by JEOL Ltd. and a Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (PEELS) are attached to the UHV FE-TEM, which combined with a fine focused probe of 1.Onm Ø allows atomic scale spectroscopy of surfaces.