New atomic-scale microscopy technique ‘offers improved accuracy’

A new microscopy technique has been developed by scientists in the US that allows them to reduce the risk of distortion in atomic-scale microscopy.

Carried out by North Carolina State University, the study detailed a way of preventing the inevitable movements of the sample that occur when capturing nanoscale images, which results in skewed and inaccurate results.

The transmission electron microscopes used to capture these images were programmed to rotate the direction in which it scans the sample, allowing the distortion caused by drift to be observed from a different vantage point.

Images were then exported into a program developed to determine the precise direction and extent of drift within the sample, meaning these inaccuracies can be accounted for and eliminated.

Senior author Dr James LeBeau, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at NC State, said: "We can now look at completely unknown samples and discover their crystalline structures – which is an important step in helping us control a material's physical properties."

This discovery will aid future research projects that require accurate atomic-scale imaging, such as in the development of new nanotechnology solutions.