title: A nanocrystalline Hilbert phase-plate for phase-contrast transmission electron microscopy.
abstract: Thin-film-based phase-plates are applied to enhance the contrast of weak-phase objects in transmission electron microscopy. In this work, metal-film-based phase-plates are considered to reduce contamination and electrostatic charging, which up to now limit the application of phase-plates fabricated from amorphous C-films. Their crystalline structure requires a model for the simulation of the effect of crystallinity on the phase-plate properties and the image formation process. The model established in this work is verified by experimental results obtained by the application of a textured nanocrystalline Au-film-based Hilbert phase-plate. Based on the model, it is shown that monocrystalline and textured nanocrystalline phase-plate microstructures of appropriate thickness and crystalline orientation can be a promising approach for phase-contrast transmission electron microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: manuel.dries@kit.edu.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dries
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hettler
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gamm
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Send
authors.affiliation: Institut für Festkörperphysik, Universität Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Institut für Festkörperphysik, Universität Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenauer
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Engesserstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerthsen
mesh_terms: D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods*; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Crystalline film; Metal film; Phase-contrast; Phase-plate; Transmission electron microscopy