title: Damage behavior and atomic migration in MgAl2O4 under an 80 keV scanning focused probe in a STEM.
abstract: With the dramatic improvement in the spatial resolution of scanning transmission electron microscopes over the past few decades, the tolerance of a specimen to the high-energy electron beam becomes the limiting factor for the quality of images and spectra obtained. Therefore, a deep understanding of the beam irradiation processes is crucial to extend the applications of electron microscopy. In this paper, we report the structural evolution of a selected oxide, MgAl2O4, under an 80 keV focused electron probe so that the beam irradiation process is not dominated by the knock-on mechanism. The formation of peroxyl bonds and the assisted atomic migration were studied using imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced High Temperature Materials and Precision Forming, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Canadian Centre of Electron Microscopy and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada.
authors.forename: Guo-Zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre of Electron Microscopy and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada. Electronic address: gbotton@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: Gianluigi A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Botton
keywords: Beam damage behavior; EELS; MgAl(2)O(4); STEM