toggle visibility
Search within Results:
Display Options:

Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print
  Records Links
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title General conclusions and future perspectives Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 243-253  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract This chapter provides an overview of statistical and quantitative methodologies that have pushed (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) toward accurate and precise measurements of unknown structure parameters for understanding the relation between the structure of a material and its properties. Hereby, statistical parameter estimation theory has extensively been used which enabled not only measuring atomic column positions, but also quantifying the number of atoms, and detecting atomic columns as accurately and precisely as possible from experimental images. As a general conclusion, it can be stated that advanced statistical techniques are ideal tools to perform quantitative electron microscopy at the atomic scale. In the future, statistical methods will continue to be developed and novel quantification procedures will open up new possibilities for studying material structures at the atomic scale.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177533 Serial 6781  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title Introduction Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-28  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177525 Serial 6784  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title Optimal experiment design for nanoparticle atom counting from ADF STEM images Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 145-175  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract In this chapter, the principles of detection theory are used to quantify the probability of error for atom counting from high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) images. Binary and multiple hypothesis testing have been investigated in order to determine the limits to the precision with which the number of atoms in a projected atomic column can be estimated. The probability of error has been calculated when using STEM images, scattering cross-sections or peak intensities as a criterion to count atoms. Based on this analysis, we conclude that scattering cross-sections perform almost equally well as images and perform better than peak intensities. Furthermore, the optimal STEM detector design can be derived for atom counting using the expression of the probability of error. We show that for very thin objects the low-angle annular dark-field (LAADF) regime is optimal and that for thicker objects the optimal inner detector angle increases.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177530 Serial 6785  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title Statistical parameter estimation theory : principles and simulation studies Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 29-72  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract In this chapter, the principles of statistical parameter estimation theory for a quantitative analysis of atomic-resolution electron microscopy images are introduced. Within this framework, electron microscopy images are described by a parametric statistical model. Here, parametric models are introduced for different types of electron microscopy images: reconstructed exit waves, annular dark-field (ADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images, and simultaneously acquired ADF and annular bright-field (ABF) STEM images. Furthermore, the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is introduced, i.e. a theoretical lower bound on the variance of any unbiased estimator. This CRLB is used to quantify the precision of the structure parameters of interest, such as the atomic column positions and the integrated atomic column intensities.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177527 Serial 6788  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De Backer, A.; Jones, L.; Lobato, I.; Altantzis, T.; Goris, B.; Nellist, P.D.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Three-dimensional atomic models from a single projection using Z-contrast imaging: verification by electron tomography and opportunities Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 8791-8798  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In order to fully exploit structure–property relations of nanomaterials, three-dimensional (3D) characterization at the atomic scale is often required. In recent years, the resolution of electron tomography has reached the atomic scale. However, such tomography typically requires several projection images demanding substantial electron dose. A newly developed alternative circumvents this by counting the number of atoms across a single projection. These atom counts can be used to create an initial atomic model with which an energy minimization can be applied to obtain a relaxed 3D reconstruction of the nanoparticle. Here, we compare, at the atomic scale, this single projection reconstruction approach with tomography and find an excellent agreement. This new approach allows for the characterization of beam-sensitive materials or where the acquisition of a tilt series is impossible. As an example, the utility is illustrated by the 3D atomic scale characterization of a nanodumbbell on an in situ heating holder of limited tilt range.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000404614700031 Publication Date 2017-06-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 33 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0374.13N, G.0369.15N, G.0368.15N, and WO.010.16N) and postdoctoral grants to T. Altantzis, A. De Backer, and B. Goris. S. Bals acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078). Funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiatieve-I3) is acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Luis Liz-Marzán, Marek Grzelczak, and Ana Sánchez-Iglesias for sample provision. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144436UA @ admin @ c:irua:144436 Serial 4617  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Martinez, G.T.; MacArthur, K.E.; Jones, L.; Béché, A.; Nellist, P.D.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Dose limited reliability of quantitative annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy for nano-particle atom-counting Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 151 Issue 151 Pages 56-61  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Quantitative annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF STEM) has become a powerful technique to characterise nano-particles on an atomic scale. Because of their limited size and beam sensitivity, the atomic structure of such particles may become extremely challenging to determine. Therefore keeping the incoming electron dose to a minimum is important. However, this may reduce the reliability of quantitative ADF STEM which will here be demonstrated for nano-particle atom-counting. Based on experimental ADF STEM images of a real industrial catalyst, we discuss the limits for counting the number of atoms in a projected atomic column with single atom sensitivity. We diagnose these limits by combining a thorough statistical method and detailed image simulations.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000351237800008 Publication Date 2014-12-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 29 Open Access  
  Notes 312483 Esteem2; 278510 Vortex; Fwo G039311; G006410; G037413; esteem2ta; ECASJO; Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2015 IF: 2.436  
  Call Number c:irua:123927 c:irua:123927 Serial 753  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Martinez, G.T.; Rosenauer, A.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Atom counting in HAADF STEM using a statistical model-based approach : methodology, possibilities, and inherent limitations Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 134 Issue Pages 23-33  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In the present paper, a statistical model-based method to count the number of atoms of monotype crystalline nanostructures from high resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images is discussed in detail together with a thorough study on the possibilities and inherent limitations. In order to count the number of atoms, it is assumed that the total scattered intensity scales with the number of atoms per atom column. These intensities are quantitatively determined using model-based statistical parameter estimation theory. The distribution describing the probability that intensity values are generated by atomic columns containing a specific number of atoms is inferred on the basis of the experimental scattered intensities. Finally, the number of atoms per atom column is quantified using this estimated probability distribution. The number of atom columns available in the observed STEM image, the number of components in the estimated probability distribution, the width of the components of the probability distribution, and the typical shape of a criterion to assess the number of components in the probability distribution directly affect the accuracy and precision with which the number of atoms in a particular atom column can be estimated. It is shown that single atom sensitivity is feasible taking the latter aspects into consideration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000324474900005 Publication Date 2013-05-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 48 Open Access  
  Notes FWO; Esteem2; FP 2007-2013; esteem2_jra2 Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2013 IF: 2.745  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:109916 Serial 162  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; Faes, C.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Nellist, P.D.; Jones, L. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Experimental reconstructions of 3D atomic structures from electron microscopy images using a Bayesian genetic algorithm Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication N P J Computational Materials Abbreviated Journal npj Comput Mater  
  Volume 8 Issue 1 Pages 216  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We introduce a Bayesian genetic algorithm for reconstructing atomic models of monotype crystalline nanoparticles from a single projection using Z-contrast imaging. The number of atoms in a projected atomic column obtained from annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images serves as an input for the initial three-dimensional model. The algorithm minimizes the energy of the structure while utilizing a priori information about the finite precision of the atom-counting results and neighbor-mass relations. The results show promising prospects for obtaining reliable reconstructions of beam-sensitive nanoparticles during dynamical processes from images acquired with sufficiently low incident electron doses.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000866500900001 Publication Date 2022-10-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2057-3960 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0267.18N, G.0502.18N, G.0346.21N) and a postdoctoral grant to A.D.B. L.J. acknowledges Science Foundation Ireland (SFI – grant number URF/RI/191637), the Royal Society, and the AMBER Centre. The authors acknowledge Aakash Varambhia for his assistance and expertise with the experimental recording and use of characterization facilities within the David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy, Department of Materials, University of Oxford, and in particular the EPSRC (EP/K040375/1 South of England Analytical Electron Microscope).; esteem3reported; esteem3JRA Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:191398 Serial 7114  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) de Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; van Dyck, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title High precision measurements of atom column positions using model-based exit wave reconstruction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2011 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 111 Issue 9/10 Pages 1475-1482  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract In this paper, it has been investigated how to measure atom column positions as accurately and precisely as possible using a focal series of images. In theory, it is expected that the precision would considerably improve using a maximum likelihood estimator based on the full series of focal images. As such, the theoretical lower bound on the variances of the unknown atom column positions can be attained. However, this approach is numerically demanding. Therefore, maximum likelihood estimation has been compared with the results obtained by fitting a model to a reconstructed exit wave rather than to the full series of focal images. Hence, a real space model-based exit wave reconstruction technique based on the channelling theory is introduced. Simulations show that the reconstructed complex exit wave contains the same amount of information concerning the atom column positions as the full series of focal images. Only for thin samples, which act as weak phase objects, this information can be retrieved from the phase of the reconstructed complex exit wave.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000300461200004 Publication Date 2011-07-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes Fwo Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2011 IF: 2.471  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:91879 Serial 1438  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De Backer, A.; van den Bos, K.H.W.; Van den Broek, W.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title StatSTEM: An efficient approach for accurate and precise model-based quantification of atomic resolution electron microscopy images Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 171 Issue 171 Pages 104-116  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract An efficient model-based estimation algorithm is introduced to quantify the atomic column positions and intensities from atomic resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) images. This algorithm uses the least squares estimator on image segments containing individual columns fully accounting for overlap between neighbouring columns, enabling the analysis of a large field of view. For this algorithm, the accuracy and precision with which measurements for the atomic column positions and scattering cross-sections from annular dark field (ADF) STEM images can be estimated, has been investigated. The highest attainable precision is reached even for low dose images. Furthermore, the advantages of the model-based approach taking into account overlap between neighbouring columns are highlighted. This is done for the estimation of the distance between two neighbouring columns as a function of their distance and for the estimation of the scattering cross-section which is compared to the integrated intensity from a Voronoi cell. To provide end-users this well-established quantification method, a user friendly program, StatSTEM, is developed which is freely available under a GNU public license.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000389106200014 Publication Date 2016-09-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 43 Open Access  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0393.11, G.0064.10 and G.0374.13), a Ph.D. research grant to K.H.W. van den Bos, and a postdoctoral research grant to A. De Backer. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3). A. Rosenauer is acknowledged for providing the STEMsim program.; esteem2_jra2 Approved Most recent IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:135516 Serial 4280  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De Backer, A.; van den Bos, K.H.W.; Van den Broek, W.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title StatSTEM: An efficient program for accurate and precise model-based quantification of atomic resolution electron microscopy images Type P1 Proceeding
  Year 2017 Publication Journal of physics : conference series T2 – Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group Conference 2017 (EMAG2017), 3-6 July 2017, Manchester, UK Abbreviated Journal J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.  
  Volume 902 Issue Pages 012013  
  Keywords P1 Proceeding; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract An efficient model-based estimation algorithm is introduced in order to quantify the atomic column positions and intensities from atomic resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) images. This algorithm uses the least squares estimator on image segments containing individual columns fully accounting for the overlap between neighbouring columns, enabling the analysis of a large field of view. For this algorithm, the accuracy and precision with which measurements for the atomic column positions and scattering cross-sections from annular dark field (ADF) STEM images can be estimated, is investigated. The highest attainable precision is reached even for low dose images. Furthermore, advantages of the model- based approach taking into account overlap between neighbouring columns are highlighted. To provide end-users this well-established quantification method, a user friendly program, StatSTEM, is developed which is freely available under a GNU public license.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000416370700013 Publication Date 2017-10-16  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1742-6588 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge nancial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project funding (G.0374.13N, G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, WO.010.16N) and a PhD research grant to K H W van den Bos, and a postdoctoral research grant to A De Backer. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3). A Rosenauer is acknowledged for providing the STEMsim program. Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147188 Serial 4764  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De Backer, A.; Zhang, Z.; van den Bos, K.H.W.; Bladt, E.; Sánchez‐Iglesias, A.; Liz‐Marzán, L.M.; Nellist, P.D.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Element Specific Atom Counting at the Atomic Scale by Combining High Angle Annular Dark Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X‐ray Spectroscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Small methods Abbreviated Journal Small Methods  
  Volume Issue Pages 2200875  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A new methodology is presented to count the number of atoms in multimetallic nanocrystals by combining energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF STEM). For this purpose, the existence of a linear relationship between the incoherent HAADF STEM and EDX images is exploited. Next to the number of atoms for each element in the atomic columns, the method also allows quantification of the error in the obtained number of atoms, which is of importance given the noisy nature of the acquired EDX signals. Using experimental images of an Au@Ag core–shell nanorod, it is demonstrated that 3D structural information can be extracted at the atomic scale. Furthermore, simulated data of an Au@Pt core–shell nanorod show the prospect to characterize heterogeneous nanostructures with adjacent atomic numbers.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000862072700001 Publication Date 2022-09-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2366-9608 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.4 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A., Grant 815128 REALNANO to S.B., and Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0267.18N, G.0502.18N, G.0346.21N) and a postdoctoral grant to A.D.B.; esteem3reported; esteem3JRA Approved Most recent IF: 12.4  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:191570 Serial 7109  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Jones, L.; Nellist, P.D.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Hybrid statistics-simulations based method for atom-counting from ADF STEM images Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 177 Issue 177 Pages 69-77  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A hybrid statistics-simulations based method for atom-counting from annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF STEM) images of monotype crystalline nanostructures is presented. Different atom-counting methods already exist for model-like systems. However, the increasing relevance of radiation damage in the study of nanostructures demands a method that allows atom-counting from low dose images with a low signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, the hybrid method directly includes prior knowledge from image simulations into the existing statistics-based method for atom-counting, and accounts in this manner for possible discrepancies between actual and simulated experimental conditions. It is shown by means of simulations and experiments that this hybrid method outperforms the statistics-based method, especially for low electron doses and small nanoparticles. The analysis of a simulated low dose image of a small nanoparticle suggests that this method allows for far more reliable quantitative analysis of beam-sensitive materials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000401219800010 Publication Date 2017-01-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0374.13N, G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, and WO.010.16N), and a postdoctoral research Grant to A. De Backer. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3). The authors are grateful to G.T. Martinez for providing image simulations. Approved Most recent IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:141718 Serial 4486  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Jones, L.; Varambhia, A.; Nellist, P.D.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Measuring Dynamic Structural Changes of Nanoparticles at the Atomic Scale Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Physical Review Letters Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev Lett  
  Volume 124 Issue 10 Pages 106105  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We propose a new method to measure atomic scale dynamics of nanoparticles from experimental high-resolution annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. By using the so-called hidden Markov model, which explicitly models the possibility of structural changes, the number of atoms in each atomic column can be quantified over time. This newly proposed method outperforms the current atom-counting procedure and enables the determination of the probabilities and cross sections for surface diffusion. This method is therefore of great importance for revealing and quantifying the atomic structure when it evolves over time via adatom dynamics, surface diffusion, beam effects, or during in situ experiments.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000519718100015 Publication Date 2020-03-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0031-9007 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.6 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887 and No. 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A.D.w. and A.D.B. and projects G.0502.18N and EOS 30489208. L.J. acknowledges the SFI AMBER Centre for support. A.V. and P.D.N. acknowledge the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) for support (EP/K040375/1 and 1772738). A.V. also acknowledges Johnson-Matthey for support. We would like to thank Brian Theobald and Jonathan Sharman from JMTC Sonning for provision of the Pt sample. Approved Most recent IF: 8.6; 2020 IF: 8.462  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:167148 Serial 6347  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Lobato, I.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modelling ADF STEM images using elliptical Gaussian peaks and its effects on the quantification of structure parameters in the presence of sample tilt Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume Issue Pages 113391  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A small sample tilt away from a main zone axis orientation results in an elongation of the atomic columns in ADF STEM images. An often posed research question is therefore whether the ADF STEM image intensities of tilted nanomaterials should be quantified using a parametric imaging model consisting of elliptical rather than the currently used symmetrical peaks. To this purpose, simulated ADF STEM images corresponding to different amounts of sample tilt are studied using a parametric imaging model that consists of superimposed 2D elliptical Gaussian peaks on the one hand and symmetrical Gaussian peaks on the other hand. We investigate the quantification of structural parameters such as atomic column positions and scattering cross sections using both parametric imaging models. In this manner, we quantitatively study what can be gained from this elliptical model for quantitative ADF STEM, despite the increased parameter space and computational effort. Although a qualitative improvement can be achieved, no significant quantitative improvement in the estimated structure parameters is achieved by the elliptical model as compared to the symmetrical model. The decrease in scattering cross sections with increasing sample tilt is even identical for both types of parametric imaging models. This impedes direct comparison with zone axis image simulations. Nonetheless, we demonstrate how reliable atom-counting can still be achieved in the presence of small sample tilt.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000704334200001 Publication Date 2021-09-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887 and No. 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A.D.w. and A.D.B. and projects G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, and EOS 30489208. S.V.A. acknowledges TOP BOF funding from the University of Antwerp.; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:181462 Serial 6810  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Hidden Markov model for atom-counting from sequential ADF STEM images: Methodology, possibilities and limitations Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 219 Issue Pages 113131  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We present a quantitative method which allows us to reliably measure dynamic changes in the atomic structure of monatomic crystalline nanomaterials from a time series of atomic resolution annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. The approach is based on the so-called hidden Markov model and estimates the number of atoms in each atomic column of the nanomaterial in each frame of the time series. We discuss the origin of the improved performance for time series atom-counting as compared to the current state-of-the-art atom-counting procedures, and show that the so-called transition probabilities that describe the probability for an atomic column to lose or gain one or more atoms from frame to frame are particularly important. Using these transition probabilities, we show that the method can also be used to estimate the probability and cross section related to structural changes. Furthermore, we explore the possibilities for applying the method to time series recorded under variable environmental conditions. The method is shown to be promising for a reliable quantitative analysis of dynamic processes such as surface diffusion, adatom dynamics, beam effects, or in situ experiments.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000594770500003 Publication Date 2020-10-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887 and No. 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A.D.w. and A.D.B. and projects G.0502.18N and EOS 30489208. Approved Most recent IF: 2.2; 2020 IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:172449 Serial 6417  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Yu, C.-P.; Sentürk, D.G.; Lobato, I.; Faes, C.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Three Approaches for Representing the Statistical Uncertainty on Atom-Counting Results in Quantitative ADF STEM Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-9  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A decade ago, a statistics-based method was introduced to count the number of atoms from annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF STEM) images. In the past years, this method was successfully applied to nanocrystals of arbitrary shape, size, and composition (and its high accuracy and precision has been demonstrated). However, the counting results obtained from this statistical framework are so far presented without a visualization of the actual uncertainty about this estimate. In this paper, we present three approaches that can be used to represent counting results together with their statistical error, and discuss which approach is most suited for further use based on simulations and an experimental ADF STEM image.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000854930500001 Publication Date 2022-09-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1431-9276 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.8 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887 and No. 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A.D.w. and A.D.B. and projects G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, and EOS 30489208. S.V.A. acknowledges TOP BOF funding from the University of Antwerp. The authors are grateful to L.M. Liz-Marzán (CIC biomaGUNE and Ikerbasque) for providing the samples. esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved Most recent IF: 2.8  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:190585 Serial 7119  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Delfino, C.L.; Hao, Y.; Martin, C.; Minoia, A.; Gopi, E.; Mali, K.S.; Van der Auweraer, M.; Geerts, Y.H.; Van Aert, S.; Lazzaroni, R.; De Feyter, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Conformation-Dependent Monolayer and Bilayer Structures of an Alkylated TTF Derivative Revealed using STM and Molecular Modeling Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication The Journal of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J. Phys. Chem. C  
  Volume 127 Issue 47 Pages 23023-23033  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract In this study, the multi-layer self-assembled molecular network formation of an alkylated tetrathiafulvalene compound is studied at the liquid-solid interface between 1-phenyloctane and graphite. A combined theoretical/experimental approach associating force-field and quantum-chemical calculations with scanning tunnelling microscopy is used to determine the two-dimensional self-assembly beyond the monolayer, but also to further the understanding of the molecular adsorption conformation and its impact on the molecular packing within the assemblies at the monolayer and bilayer level.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001111637100001 Publication Date 2023-11-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO G081518N, G0A3220N) and KU Leuven–Internal Funds (C14/19/079) is acknowledged. This work was in part supported by FWO and F. R. S.-FNRS under the Excellence of Science EOS program (project 30489208 and 40007495). C.M. acknowledges the financial support: Grants PID2021-128761OA-C22 and CNS2022-136052 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 by the “European Union” and SBPLY/21/180501/000127 funded by JCCM and by the EU through “Fondo Europeo de Desarollo Regional” (FEDER). Research in Mons is also supported by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS) within the Consortium des Équipements de Calcul Intensif – CÉCI, under Grant 2.5020.11, and by the Walloon Region (ZENOBE Tier-1 supercomputer, under grant 1117545). Approved Most recent IF: 3.7; 2023 IF: 4.536  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:201671 Serial 8974  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) den Dekker, A.J.; Gonnissen, J.; de Backer, A.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Estimation of unknown structure parameters from high-resolution (S)TEM images : what are the limits? Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 134 Issue Pages 34-43  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Statistical parameter estimation theory is proposed as a quantitative method to measure unknown structure parameters from electron microscopy images. Images are then purely considered as data planes from which structure parameters have to be determined as accurately and precisely as possible using a parametric statistical model of the observations. For this purpose, an efficient algorithm is proposed for the estimation of atomic column positions and intensities from high angle annular dark field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images. Furthermore, the so-called CramérRao lower bound (CRLB) is reviewed to determine the limits to the precision with which continuous parameters such as atomic column positions and intensities can be estimated. Since this lower bound can only be derived for continuous parameters, alternative measures using the principles of detection theory are introduced for problems concerning the estimation of discrete parameters such as atomic numbers. An experimental case study is presented to show the practical use of these measures for the optimization of the experiment design if the purpose is to decide between the presence of specific atom types using STEM images.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000324474900006 Publication Date 2013-06-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 31 Open Access  
  Notes FWO; FP 2007-2013; Esteem2; esteem2_jra2 Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2013 IF: 2.745  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:109240 Serial 1083  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S.; van den Bos, A.; van Dyck, D. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Maximum likelihood estimation of structure parameters from high resolution electron microscopy images: part 1: a theoretical framework Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2005 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 104 Issue 2 Pages 83-106  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000230526400001 Publication Date 2005-04-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 70 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2005 IF: 2.490  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:57229 Serial 1959  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S.; van Dyck, D.; van den Bos, A.; Geuens, P. doi  openurl
  Title Does a monochromator improve the precision in quantitative HRTEM? Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2001 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 89 Issue Pages 275-290  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000172667000004 Publication Date 2002-07-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 22 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2001 IF: 1.890  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:47518 Serial 746  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Dunin-Borkowski, R.E.; Lichte, H.; Tillmann, K.; Van Aert, S.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Introduction to a special issue in honour of W. Owen Saxton, David J. Smith and Dirk Van Dyck on the occasion of their 65th birthdays Type Editorial
  Year 2013 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 134 Issue Pages 1-1  
  Keywords Editorial; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Elsevier science bv Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000324474900001 Publication Date 2013-07-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2013 IF: 2.745  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:109917 Serial 1721  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Egoavil, R.; Gauquelin, N.; Martinez, G.T.; Van Aert, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Verbeeck, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Atomic resolution mapping of phonon excitations in STEM-EELS experiments Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 147 Issue Pages 1-7  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Atomically resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy experiments are commonplace in modern aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopes. Energy resolution has also been increasing steadily with the continuous improvement of electron monochromators. Electronic excitations however are known to be delocalized due to the long range interaction of the charged accelerated electrons with the electrons in a sample. This has made several scientists question the value of combined high spatial and energy resolution for mapping interband transitions and possibly phonon excitation in crystals. In this paper we demonstrate experimentally that atomic resolution information is indeed available at very low energy losses around 100 meV expressed as a modulation of the broadening of the zero loss peak. Careful data analysis allows us to get a glimpse of what are likely phonon excitations with both an energy loss and gain part. These experiments confirm recent theoretical predictions on the strong localization of phonon excitations as opposed to electronic excitations and show that a combination of atomic resolution and recent developments in increased energy resolution will offer great benefit for mapping phonon modes in real space.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000343157400001 Publication Date 2014-05-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 22 Open Access  
  Notes 246102 IFOX; 278510 VORTEX; 246791 COUNTATOMS; Hercules; 312483 ESTEEM2; esteem2jra3 ECASJO; Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2014 IF: 2.436  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118332UA @ admin @ c:irua:118332 Serial 177  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; de Backer, A.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title Atom column detection Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 177-214  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract By combining statistical parameter estimation and model-order selection using a Bayesian framework, the maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability rule is proposed in this chapter as an objective and quantitative method to detect atom columns from high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) images. The validity and usefulness of this approach is demonstrated to both simulated and experimental annular dark-field (ADF) STEM images, but also to simultaneously acquired annular bright-field (ABF) and ADF STEM image data.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177531 Serial 6775  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; de Backer, A.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Aert, S. pdf  doi
isbn  openurl
  Title Image-quality evaluation and model selection with maximum a posteriori probability Type H2 Book chapter
  Year 2021 Publication Advances in imaging and electron physics T2 – Advances in imaging and electron physics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 215-242  
  Keywords H2 Book chapter; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract The maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability rule for atom column detection can also be used as a tool to evaluate the relation between scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) image quality and atom detectability. In this chapter, a new image-quality measure is proposed that correlates well with atom detectability, namely the integrated contrast-to-noise ratio (ICNR). Furthermore, the working principle of the MAP probability rule is described in detail showing a close relation to the principles of model-selection methods.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 217 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-0-12-824607-8; 1076-5670 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ERC Consolidator project funded by the European Union grant #770887 Picometrics Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177532 Serial 6782  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, A. J.; Müller-Caspary, K.; Lobato, I.; O’Leary, C. M.; Nellist, P. D.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Single Atom Detection from Low Contrast-to-Noise Ratio Electron Microscopy Images Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Physical review letters Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev Lett  
  Volume 121 Issue 5 Pages 056101  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Single atom detection is of key importance to solving a wide range of scientific and technological problems. The strong interaction of electrons with matter makes transmission electron microscopy one of the most promising techniques. In particular, aberration correction using scanning transmission electron microscopy has made a significant step forward toward detecting single atoms. However, to overcome radiation damage, related to the use of high-energy electrons, the incoming electron dose should be kept low enough. This results in images exhibiting a low signal-to-noise ratio and extremely weak contrast, especially for light-element nanomaterials. To overcome this problem, a combination of physics-based model fitting and the use of a model-order selection method is proposed, enabling one to detect single atoms with high reliability.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000440143200007 Publication Date 2018-07-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0031-9007 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.462 Times cited 6 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Project fundings (No. WO.010.16N, No. G.0368.15N, No. G.0502.18N). The authors are grateful to M. Van Bael and P. Lievens (KU Leuven) and to L. M. Liz-Marzán (CIC biomaGUNE and Ikerbasque) for providing the samples. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887). Approved Most recent IF: 8.462  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152819 Serial 5004  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, Aj.; Müller-Caspary, K.; Gauquelin, N.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Atom column detection from simultaneously acquired ABF and ADF STEM images Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 219 Issue Pages 113046  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract In electron microscopy, the maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability rule has been introduced as a tool to determine the most probable atomic structure from high-resolution annular dark-field (ADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images exhibiting low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Besides ADF imaging, STEM can also be applied in the annular bright-field (ABF) regime. The ABF STEM mode allows to directly visualize light-element atomic columns in the presence of heavy columns. Typically, light-element nanomaterials are sensitive to the electron beam, limiting the incoming electron dose in order to avoid beam damage and leading to images exhibiting low CNR. Therefore, it is of interest to apply the MAP probability rule not only to ADF STEM images, but to ABF STEM images as well. In this work, the methodology of the MAP rule, which combines statistical parameter estimation theory and model-order selection, is extended to be applied to simultaneously acquired ABF and ADF STEM images. For this, an extension of the commonly used parametric models in STEM is proposed. Hereby, the effect of specimen tilt has been taken into account, since small tilts from the crystal zone axis affect, especially, ABF STEM intensities. Using simulations as well as experimental data, it is shown that the proposed methodology can be successfully used to detect light elements in the presence of heavy elements.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000594768500005 Publication Date 2020-06-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (No. W.O.010.16N, No. G.0368.15N, No. G.0502.18N, EOS 30489208). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 823717 – ESTEEM3. The direct electron detector (Medipix3, Quantum Detectors) was funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government. K. M. C. acknowledges funding from the Initiative and Network Fund of the Helmholtz Association (Germany) under contract VH-NG-1317. The authors thank Mark Huijben from the University of Twente (Enschede, The Netherlands) for providing the LiMn2O4 sample used in section 4.2 of this study. N. G., J. V., and S. V. A. acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp through the Concerted Research Actions (GOA) project Solarpaint and the TOP project. Approved Most recent IF: 2.2; 2020 IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:169706 Serial 6373  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; Romolini, G.; Altantzis, T.; Hofkens, J.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Atomic-scale detection of individual lead clusters confined in Linde Type A zeolites Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Structural analysis of metal clusters confined in nanoporous materials is typically performed by X-ray-driven techniques. Although X-ray analysis has proved its strength in the characterization of metal clusters, it provides averaged structural information. Therefore, we here present an alternative workflow for bringing the characterization of confined metal clusters towards the local scale. This workflow is based on the combination of aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TEM image simulations, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) with advanced statistical techniques. In this manner, we were able to characterize the clustering of Pb atoms in Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites with Pb loadings as low as 5 wt%. Moreover, individual Pb clusters could be directly detected. The proposed methodology thus enables a local-scale characterization of confined metal clusters in zeolites. This is important for further elucidation of the connection between the structure and the physicochemical properties of such systems.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000809619900001 Publication Date 0000-00-00  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders through project fundings (FWO, G026718N, G050218N, ZW15_09-G0H6316N, and W002221N) and through a PhD scholarship to G.R. (grant 11C6920N), as well as iBOF-21-085 PERSIST. T.A. and S.V.A. acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). J.H. acknowledges the Flemish government through long-term structural funding Methusalem (CASAS2, Meth/15/04) and the MPI as MPI fellow. M.R. acknowledges funding by the KU Leuven Research Fund (C14/19/079). S.B. and S.V.A. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants No. 815128−REALNANO and No. 770887−PICOMETRICS). The authors thank Dr. D. Chernyshov for the collection of XRD measurements. Approved Most recent IF: 6.7  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:189061 Serial 7076  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Fatermans, J.; Van Aert, S.; den Dekker, A.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The maximum a posteriori probability rule for atom column detection from HAADF STEM images Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 201 Issue Pages 81-91  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Recently, the maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability rule has been proposed as an objective and quantitative method to detect atom columns and even single atoms from high-resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images. The method combines statistical parameter estimation and model-order selection using a Bayesian framework and has been shown to be especially useful for the analysis of the structure of beam-sensitive nanomaterials. In order to avoid beam damage, images of such materials are usually acquired using a limited incoming electron dose resulting in a low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) which makes visual inspection unreliable. This creates a need for an objective and quantitative approach. The present paper describes the methodology of the MAP probability rule, gives its step-by-step derivation and discusses its algorithmic implementation for atom column detection. In addition, simulation results are presented showing that the performance of the MAP probability rule to detect the correct number of atomic columns from HAADF STEM images is superior to that of other model-order selection criteria, including the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Moreover, the MAP probability rule is used as a tool to evaluate the relation between STEM image quality measures and atom detectability resulting in the introduction of the so-called integrated CNR (ICNR) as a new image quality measure that better correlates with atom detectability than conventional measures such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and CNR.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000466343800009 Publication Date 2019-02-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (No. W.O.010.16N, No. G.0368.15N, No. G.0502.18N). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887). Approved Most recent IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:157176 Serial 5153  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Friedrich, T.; Yu, C.-P.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Phase object reconstruction for 4D-STEM using deep learning Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 395-407  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In this study, we explore the possibility to use deep learning for the reconstruction of phase images from 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) data. The process can be divided into two main steps. First, the complex electron wave function is recovered for a convergent beam electron diffraction pattern (CBED) using a convolutional neural network (CNN). Subsequently, a corresponding patch of the phase object is recovered using the phase object approximation. Repeating this for each scan position in a 4D-STEM dataset and combining the patches by complex summation yields the full-phase object. Each patch is recovered from a kernel of 3x3 adjacent CBEDs only, which eliminates common, large memory requirements and enables live processing during an experiment. The machine learning pipeline, data generation, and the reconstruction algorithm are presented. We demonstrate that the CNN can retrieve phase information beyond the aperture angle, enabling super-resolution imaging. The image contrast formation is evaluated showing a dependence on the thickness and atomic column type. Columns containing light and heavy elements can be imaged simultaneously and are distinguishable. The combination of super-resolution, good noise robustness, and intuitive image contrast characteristics makes the approach unique among live imaging methods in 4D-STEM.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001033590800038 Publication Date 2023-01-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1431-9276 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.8 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes We acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 770887 PICOMETRICS) and funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 823717 ESTEEM3. J.V. and S.V.A acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp through a TOP BOF project. The direct electron detector (Merlin, Medipix3, Quantum Detectors) was funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government. This work was supported by the FWO and FNRS within the 2Dto3D project of the EOS program (grant number 30489208). Approved Most recent IF: 2.8; 2023 IF: 1.891  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198221 Serial 8912  
Permanent link to this record
Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print

Save Citations:
Export Records: