title: Three-dimensional ADF imaging of individual atoms by through-focal series scanning transmission electron microscopy.
abstract: Aberration correction in scanning transmission electron microscopy has more than doubled the lateral resolution, greatly improving the visibility of individual impurity or dopant atoms. Depth resolution is increased five-fold, to the nanometer level. We show how a through-focal series of images enables single Hf atoms to be located inside an advanced gate dielectric device structure to a precision of better than 0.1 x 0.1 x 0.5 nm. This depth sectioning method for three-dimensional characterization has potential applications to many other fields, including polycrystalline materials, catalysts and biological structures.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6031, USA. benthem@ornl.gov
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van Benthem
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lupini
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Oxley
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pennycook