Recent trends in high-resolution electron microscopy

The recent advent of high-resolution electron microscopes (HREMs) capable of resolving sub-2-Ångstrom detail on a routine basis has led to an enormous increase in the range of materials which can be usefully studied. Not only is it possible to resolve individual atomic columns in low index zones of most common metals but observations of semiconductors, for example, are no longer restricted to the traditional [110] zone, thereby making it feasible at last to obtain two-dimensional information about surfaces, interfaces and other planar defects. There is a worldwide upsurge of interest in the capabilities of these machines and the so-called medium-voltage (300-400kV) HREMs are selling rapidly despite their considerable expense. Our objective here is to provide a brief and selective overview of the latest applications and likely trends in HREM studies of materials - further details can be found elsewhere in these proceedings. No attempt is made to review instrumentation developments since they are being considered separately.