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Intrinsic Instability of Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopes

S. M. Schramm, S. J. van der Molen, and R. M. Tromp
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 163901 – Published 15 October 2012
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Abstract

Aberration-corrected microscopes with subatomic resolution will impact broad areas of science and technology. However, the experimentally observed lifetime of the corrected state is just a few minutes. Here we show that the corrected state is intrinsically unstable; the higher its quality, the more unstable it is. Analyzing the contrast transfer function near optimum correction, we define an “instability budget” which allows a rational trade-off between resolution and stability. Unless control systems are developed to overcome these challenges, intrinsic instability poses a fundamental limit to the resolution practically achievable in the electron microscope.

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  • Received 7 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.163901

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. M. Schramm1, S. J. van der Molen1, and R. M. Tromp1,2

  • 1Leiden University, Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, P.O. Box 9504, NL-2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
  • 2IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 16 — 19 October 2012

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