Abstract
Acquiring an atomic-resolution compositional map of crystalline specimens has become routine practice, thus opening possibilities for extracting subatomic information from such maps. A key challenge for achieving subatomic precision is the improvement of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of compositional maps. Here, we report a simple and reliable solution for achieving high-SNR energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy spectrum images for individual atomic columns. The method is based on standard cross-correlation aided by averaging of single-column EDX maps with modifications in the reference image. It produces EDX maps with minimal specimen drift, beam drift, and scan distortions. Step-by-step procedures to determine a self-consistent reference map with a discussion on the reliability, stability, and limitations of the method are presented here.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 536-543 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Microscopy and Microanalysis |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 12 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Microscopy Society of America 2016.
Keywords
- STEM-EDX
- averaging
- cross-correlation
- image processing
- subatomic precision