Fast Pixelated Detectors in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. Part II: Post Acquisition Data Processing, Visualisation, and Structural Characterisation

Abstract

Fast pixelated detectors incorporating direct electron detection (DED) technology are increasingly being regarded as universal detectors for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), capable of imaging under multiple modes of operation. However, several issues remain around the post acquisition processing and visualisation of the often very large multidimensional STEM datasets produced by them. We discuss these issues and present open source software libraries to enable efficient processing and visualisation of such datasets. Throughout, we provide examples of the analysis methodologies presented, utilising data from a 256$\times$256 pixel Medipix3 hybrid DED detector, with a particular focus on the STEM characterisation of the structural properties of materials. These include the techniques of virtual detector imaging; higher order Laue zone analysis; nanobeam electron diffraction; and scanning precession electron diffraction. In the latter, we demonstrate nanoscale lattice parameter mapping with a fractional precision $\le 6\times 10^{-4}$ (0.06%).

arXiv comment23 pages, 12 figures, add open data zenodo doi and revise precision discussion

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Cited by in corpus (13)

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• Automated crystal orientation mapping by precession electron diffraction assisted four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) using a scintillator based CMOS detector
• Digital Dark Field -- Higher Contrast and Greater Specificity Dark Field Imaging using a 4DSTEM Approach
• Removing constraints of 4D-STEM with a framework for event-driven acquisition and processing
• Improved ACOM pattern matching in 4D STEM through adaptive sub pixel peak detection and image reconstruction
• Measurement of atomic modulation direction using the azimuthal variation of first order Laue zone electron diffraction
• Parallel mode differential phase contrast in transmission electron microscopy, II: K${}_2$CuF${}_4$ phase transition
• Tunable superconductivity in Fe-pnictide heterointerfaces by diffusion control
• Phase imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy using bright-field balanced divergency method
• Increasing Spatial Fidelity and SNR of 4D-STEM using Multi-frame Data Fusion
• Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction of Three-Dimensional Magnetisation in a Nanowire Structure Using Electron Holographic Vector Field Tomography