title: Carbon contamination in scanning transmission electron microscopy and its impact on phase-plate applications.
abstract: We analyze electron-beam induced carbon contamination in a transmission electron microscope. The study is performed on thin films potentially suitable as phase plates for phase-contrast transmission electron microscopy. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy and phase-plate imaging is utilized to analyze the contamination. The deposited contamination layer is identified as a graphitic carbon layer which is not prone to electrostatic charging whereas a non-conductive underlying substrate charges. Several methods that inhibit contamination are evaluated and the impact of carbon contamination on phase-plate imaging is discussed. The findings are in general interesting for scanning transmission electron microscopy applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engesserstrasse 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: simon.hettler@kit.edu.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hettler
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engesserstrasse 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dries
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engesserstrasse 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engesserstrasse 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obermair
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Elektronenmikroskopie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engesserstrasse 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerthsen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nanotechnology (NRC) and Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton T6G 2M9, Canada.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malac
keywords: Contamination; Electron-beam induced charging; Graphitized carbon; Phase plate; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Thin film