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Breaking the Crowther limit: Combining depth-sectioning and tilt tomography for high-resolution, wide-field 3D reconstructions

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

R. Hovden
P. Ercius
Y. Jiang
D. Wang
Y. Yu
H.D. Abruña
V. Elser
D.A. Muller

Abstract

To date, high-resolution (<1. nm) imaging of extended objects in three-dimensions (3D) has not been possible. A restriction known as the Crowther criterion forces a tradeoff between object size and resolution for 3D reconstructions by tomography. Further, the sub-Angstrom resolution of aberration-corrected electron microscopes is accompanied by a greatly diminished depth of field, causing regions of larger specimens (>6. nm) to appear blurred or missing. Here we demonstrate a three-dimensional imaging method that overcomes both these limits by combining through-focal depth sectioning and traditional tilt-series tomography to reconstruct extended objects, with high-resolution, in all three dimensions. The large convergence angle in aberration corrected instruments now becomes a benefit and not a hindrance to higher quality reconstructions. A through-focal reconstruction over a 390. nm 3D carbon support containing over 100 dealloyed and nanoporous PtCu catalyst particles revealed with sub-nanometer detail the extensive and connected interior pore structure that is created by the dealloying instability. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Date Published

Journal

Ultramicroscopy

Volume

140

Number of Pages

26-31,

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896379735&doi=10.1016%2fj.ultramic.2014.01.013&partnerID=40&md5=bdda9f5494e5488ef287b7f289bb2d63

DOI

10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.01.013

Group (Lab)

Veit Elser Group

Funding Source

-0117770
0646547
DE-AC02-05CH11231
DE-FG02-11ER16210
DMR-1120296

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