Abstract

Electron tomography has become an established tool for 3D visualization and characterisation not only in the life sciences but also now in the physical sciences, and especially in the study of complex nanoscale materials and structures. There is a need not only to study the morphology of a structure but also its physical and chemical properties in three dimensions. As such, electron tomography in materials science has developed very quickly over the past few years using a wide range of imaging modes to capture this 3D information. These modes include STEM HAADF imaging for 3D visualization of morphology, particle distribution and porosity, through to weak-beam and STEM dark-field imaging to study 3D dislocation networks, 4D plasmon imaging to discern different chemical species and electron holo-tomography to understand the 3D electrostatic potential distribution in semiconductor devices. In this talk, I will highlight a number of examples from across a broad range of materials that illustrates how electron tomography can provide high resolution 3D information that would be difficult if not impossible to determine with any other technique.

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