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Article

Electron microscopy of atoms in crystals

MAR 01, 1977
Now we can see atoms in crystals directly by electron microscopy, allowing us to determine structures of both ordered and disordered solids and to study the way atoms cluster around crystal defects.
John M. Cowley
Sumio Iijima

From its beginnings the field of electron microscopy has sought, as its ultimate aim, the ability to study the structure of matter by imaging the individual atoms that compose it. The resolution necessary to attain this goal is obtainable in principle, because the electron wavelengths of the beams normally used are less than 0.1 Å, What has kept this goal from realization are practical difficulties in the design and construction of electron microscopes. These difficulties have now been overcome to the extent that resolutions of 2–3 Å, close to the interatomic distances in some solids, have been achieved.

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References

  1. 1. A. V. Crewe, J. Wall, J. P. Langmore, Science 168, 1138 (1970).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

  2. 2. N. Uyeda, T. Kobayashi, E. Suito, Y. Harada, M. Watanabe, J. Appl. Phys. 43, 5181 (1972).https://doi.org/JAPIAU

  3. 3. J. G. Allpress, J. V. Sanders, J. Appl. Cryst. 6, 105 (1973).https://doi.org/JACGAR

  4. 4. S. Iijima, J. Appl. Phys. 42, 5891 (1971).https://doi.org/JAPIAU

  5. 5. J. M. Cowley, Annual Rev. Materials Sci. 6, 53 (1976).https://doi.org/ARMSCX

  6. 6. J. M. Cowley, S. Iijima, in Electron Microscopy in Mineralogy (H.‐R. Wenk, ed.), Springer, Berlin (1976), page 123.

  7. 7. J. M. Cowley, A. F. Moodie, Acta Cryst. 10, 609 (1957); https://doi.org/ACCRA9
    J. M. Cowley, Diffraction Physics, North‐Holland, Amsterdam (1975).

  8. 8. P. Goodman, A. F. Moodie, Acta Cryst. A 30, 280 (1974).https://doi.org/ACACBN

  9. 9. A. J. Skarnulis, S. Iijima, J. M. Cowley, Acta Cryst. A 32, 799 (1976).https://doi.org/ACACBN

  10. 10. S. Iijima in Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Electron Microscope Society of America (G. W. Bailey, ed.), Claitor’s Publ. Div., Baton Rouge, La. (1976).

More about the authors

John M. Cowley, Arizona State University, Tempe.

Sumio Iijima, Arizona State University, Tempe.

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This Content Appeared In
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Volume 30, Number 3

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