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arXiv · 1209.5340

Intrinsic Instability of Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopes

S. M. Schramm·S. J. van der Molen·R. M. Tromp
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Abstract

Aberration-corrected microscopes with sub-atomic 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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S. M. Schramm, S. J. van der Molen, R. M. Tromp. 2012-09-21. Intrinsic Instability of Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopes. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.163901

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