title: Low-dose performance of parallel-beam nanodiffraction.
abstract: We evaluate the low-dose performance of parallel nano-beam diffraction (NBD) in the transmission electron microscope as a method for characterizing radiation sensitive materials at low electron irradiation dose. A criterion, analogous to Rose's, is established for detecting a diffraction spot with desired signal-to-noise ratio. Our experimental data show that a dose substantially lower than in high-resolution bright-field imaging is sufficient to determine structure and orientation of individual nanoscale objects embedded in amorphous matrix. In an instrument equipped with a cold field-emission gun it is possible to form a probe with sub-3 nm diameter and sub-0.3 mrad convergence angle with sufficient beam current to record a diffraction pattern with less than 0.2 s acquisition time. The interpretation of NBD patterns is identical to that of selected area diffraction patterns. We illustrate the physical principles underlying good low-dose performance of NBD by means of a phase grating. The electron irradiation dose needed to detect a diffraction peak in NBD is found proportional to 1/N2, where N is the number of lattice planes contributing to the peak.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nanotechnology, 11421 Saskatachewan Drive, Edmonton AB, Canada T6G 2M9. mmarecek2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malac
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beleggia
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Ray F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Egerton
authors.forename: Yimei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu