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The achievable instrumental performance of a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is determined by the size and shape of the incident electron probe. The most important optical factor in achieving the optimum probe profile is the radius of the probe-forming aperture, which determines the convergence semi-angle of the illumination. What is often overlooked however is that small deviations from this optimum can degrade both the resolution and interpretability of image contrast. A 30% error in aperture radius can lead to a factor of 2 contrast reduction in typical lattice spacings, and a 5 {\AA} error in the thickness measurement of thin layers (such as gate oxides). Theoretical calculations of the optimum convergence angles, from a wave-optical consideration of the probe forming conditions, are explained and their consequences discussed. An experimental approach to the measurement and tuning of the convergence angle is then introduced. This is intended for uncorrected electron microscopes. For corrected instruments, Cs=0, and Cc usually determines the choice of aperture - see e.g. ULTRAMICROSCOPY 108, (2008) 1454-1466, Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures

The dynamic metallurgical characteristics of the selective laser melting (SLM) process offer fabricated materials with non-equilibrium microstructures compared to their cast and wrought counterparts. To date, few studies on the precipitation kinetics of SLM processed heat-treatable alloys have been reported, despite the importance of obtaining such detailed knowledge for optimizing the mechanical properties. In this study, for the first time, the precipitation behavior of an SLM fabricated Al—Mn—Sc alloy was systematically investigated over the temperature range of 300–450 °C. The combination of in-situ synchrotron-based ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the continuous evolution of Al(6)Mn and Al(3)Sc precipitates upon isothermal heating in both precipitate structure and morphology, which was confirmed by ex-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. A pseudo-delay nucleation and growth phenomenon of the Al(3)Sc precipitates was observed for the SLM fabricated Al—Mn—Sc alloy. This phenomenon was attributed to the preformed Sc clusters in the as-fabricated condition due to the intrinsic heat treatment effect induced by the unique layer-by-layer building nature of SLM. The growth kinetics for the Al(6)Mn and Al(3)Sc precipitates were established based on the in-situ X-ray studies, with the respective activation energies determined to be (74 ± 4) kJ/mol and (63 ± 9) kJ/mol. The role of the precipitate evolution on the final mechanical properties was evaluated by tensile testing, and an observed discontinuous yielding phenomenon was effectively alleviated with increased aging temperatures.

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The change in the carbonaceous skeleton of nanoporous carbons during their activation has received limited attention, unlike its counterpart process in the presence of an inert atmosphere. Here we adopt a multi-method approach to elucidate this change in a poly(furfuryl alcohol)-derived carbon activated using cyclic application of oxygen saturation at 250 °C before its removal (with carbon) at 800 °C in argon. The methods used include helium pycnometry, synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD) and associated radial distribution function (RDF) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and, uniquely, electron energy-loss spectroscopy spectrum-imaging (EELS-SI), electron nanodiffraction and fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM). Helium pycnometry indicates the solid skeleton of the carbon densifies during activation from 78% to 93% of graphite. RDF analysis, EELS-SI, and FEM all suggest this densification comes through an in-plane growth of sp2 carbon out to the medium range without commensurate increase in order normal to the plane. This process could be termed ‘graphenization’. The exact way in which this process occurs is not clear, but TEM images of the carbon before and after activation suggest it may come through removal of the more reactive carbon, breaking constraining cross-links and creating space that allows the remaining carbon material to migrate in an annealing-like process. C.H. acknowledges a joint scholarship provided by China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the University of Adelaide. The support of the Australian Research Council Discovery Program (DP110101293) is also gratefully acknowledged. ACYL gratefully acknowledges the support of the Science Faculty and the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy (MCEM), Monash University. The electron microscopy was performed in the MCEM. The FEI Titan3 80-300 FEGTEM was funded by the Australian Research Council (LE0454166). S.H.M. acknowledges the award of a President’s Scholarship from the University of South Australia.

Long-range strain fields associated with dislocation cores at an oxide interface are shown to be sufficient enough to create significant variations in the chemical composition around the core (Cottrell atmospheres). Such stress-assisted diffusion of cations towards the cores is proposed to significantly impact the properties of nanoscale functional devices. The figure shows a Z-contrast image of a single dislocation core at an oxide interface. (Figure Presented) Refereed/Peer-reviewed