Biomedical subjects

R E Dunin-Borkowski

Publications and source records attributed to R E Dunin-Borkowski.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Nanoscale scanning transmission electron tomography.

Electron tomography enables the study of complex three-dimensional objects with nanometre resolution. In materials science, scanning transmission electron microscopy provides images with minimal coherent diffraction effects and with high atomic number contrast that makes them ideal for electron tomographic reconstruction. In this study, we reviewed the topic of scanning transmission electron microscopy-based tomography and illustrated the power of the technique with a number of examples with critical dimensions at the nanoscale.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

The contribution of phonon scattering to high-resolution images measured by off-axis electron holography.

The contribution of electrons that have been phonon scattered to the lattice fringe amplitude and the background intensity of a high-resolution electron microscope (HREM) image is addressed experimentally through the analysis of a defocus series of energy-filtered off-axis electron holograms. It is shown that at a typical specimen thickness used for HREM imaging approximately 15% of the electrons that contribute to an energy-filtered image have been phonon scattered. At this specimen thickness, the phonon-scattered electrons contribute a lattice image of opposite contrast to the elastic lattice image. The overall lattice fringe contrast is then reduced to 70% of the value that it would have in the absence of phonon scattering. At higher specimen thickness, the behaviour is defocus-dependent, with the phonon image having lattice fringe contrast of either the same or the opposite sense to the elastic image as the defocus is varied.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Off-axis electron holography of electrostatic potentials in unbiased and reverse biased focused ion beam milled semiconductor devices.

Off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) is used to measure two-dimensional electrostatic potentials in both unbiased and reverse biased silicon specimens that each contain a single p-n junction. All the specimens are prepared for examination in the TEM using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The in situ electrical biasing experiments make use of a novel specimen geometry, which is based on a combination of cleaving and FIB milling. The design and construction of an electrical biasing holder are described, and the effects of TEM specimen preparation on the electrostatic potential in the specimen, as well as on fringing fields beyond the specimen surface, are assessed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Quantitative electron holography of biased semiconductor devices.

Electron holography is used to measure electrostatic potential profiles across reverse-biased Si p-n junctions in situ in the transmission electron microscope. A novel sample geometry based on focused ion-beam milling is developed, and results are obtained for a range of sample thicknesses and bias voltages to allow the holographic contrast to be interpreted. The physical and electrical nature of the sample surface, which is affected by sample preparation and electron beam irradiation, is discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Magnetite morphology and life on Mars.

Nanocrystals of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) in a meteorite from Mars provide the strongest, albeit controversial, evidence for the former presence of extraterrestrial life. The morphological and size resemblance of the crystals from meteorite ALH84001 to crystals formed by certain terrestrial bacteria has been used in support of the biological origin of the extraterrestrial minerals. By using tomographic and holographic methods in a transmission electron microscope, we show that the three-dimensional shapes of such nanocrystals can be defined, that the detailed morphologies of individual crystals from three bacterial strains differ, and that none uniquely match those reported from the Martian meteorite. In contrast to previous accounts, we argue that the existing crystallographic and morphological evidence is inadequate to support the inference of former life on Mars.

Extraterrestrial Environment↗

PubMed2000

Off-axis electron holography of patterned magnetic nanostructures.

Magnetization reversal processes in lithographically patterned magnetic elements that have lateral dimensions of 70-500 nm, thicknesses of 3-30 nm and a wide range of shapes and layer sequences have been followed in situ using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. This technique allows domain structures within individual elements and the magnetic interactions between them to be quantified at close to the nanometre scale. The behaviour of 30 nm-thick Co elements was compared with that of 10 nm-thick Ni and Co elements, as well as with Co/Au/Ni trilayers. The hysteresis loops of individual elements were determined directly from the measured holographic phase images. The reproducibility of an element's domain structure in successive cycles was found to be affected by the out-of-plane component of the applied magnetic field and by the exact details of its initial magnetic state. Close proximity to adjacent elements led to strong intercell coupling, and remanent states with the in-plane magnetic field removed included domain structures such as solenoidal (vortex) states that were never observed during hysteresis cycling. Narrow rectangular bars reversed without the formation of end domains, whereas closely separated magnetic layers within individual elements were observed to couple to each other during field reversal.

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