Several future development directions of transmission electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy projects an accelerated and concentrated electron beam onto a very thin sample. The electrons collide with atoms in the sample and change direction, thereby producing solid angle scattering. The size of the scattering angle is related to the density and thickness of the sample, so images with different light and dark colors can be formed. The image will be displayed on imaging devices (such as fluorescent screens, films, and photosensitive coupling components) after magnification and focusing.
Currently, transmission electron microscopy has several important development directions. , resolution improvement. Resolution has always been the goal and direction of the development of transmission electron microscopes. Develop a new generation of monochromators and spherical aberration correctors to further improve the energy resolution and spatial resolution of transmission electron microscopes, especially for low-voltage electron microscopes. Second, develop in-situ transmission electron microscopy technology. In-situ transmission electron microscopy has important applications in the fields of material synthesis, chemical catalysis, life sciences and energy materials. It can observe and control the progress of gas-phase reactions and liquid-phase reactions in real time at the atomic scale, thereby studying scientific issues such as the essential mechanism of the reaction. Third, it is more widely used in the study of biological macromolecule structures. The widespread application of cryo-electron microscopy in the study of biological macromolecule structures will promote the continuous development of cryo-electron microscopy technology. The application of cryo-electron microscopy in the field of biology has attracted more and more attention, becoming a link and bridge connecting biological macromolecules and cells.
With the continuous development and progress of electron microscopy, the resolution of transmission electron microscopy has reached the sub-angstrom level, and electron microscopy has become an indispensable characterization method in the field of materials science. In the more than eighty years since the birth of transmission electron microscopy to today, people have solved many scientific problems with the help of transmission electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopes are also constantly developing and progressing, with increasingly comprehensive functions and improved performance.
