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Author Ren, P.; Zhang, T.; Jain, N.; Ching, H.Y.V.; Jaworski, A.; Barcaro, G.; Monti, S.; Silvestre-Albero, J.; Celorrio, V.; Chouhan, L.; Rokicinska, A.; Debroye, E.; Kustrowski, P.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.; Das, S.
Title An atomically dispersed Mn-photocatalyst for generating hydrogen peroxide from seawater via the Water Oxidation Reaction (WOR) Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Journal of the American Chemical Society Abbreviated Journal
Volume 145 Issue 30 Pages 16584-16596
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Organic synthesis (ORSY); Theory and Spectroscopy of Molecules and Materials (TSM²)
Abstract In this work, we have fabricatedan aryl amino-substitutedgraphiticcarbon nitride (g-C3N4) catalyst with atomicallydispersed Mn capable of generating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) directly from seawater. This new catalyst exhibitedexcellent reactivity, obtaining up to 2230 & mu;M H2O2 in 7 h from alkaline water and up to 1800 & mu;Mfrom seawater under identical conditions. More importantly, the catalystwas quickly recovered for subsequent reuse without appreciable lossin performance. Interestingly, unlike the usual two-electron oxygenreduction reaction pathway, the generation of H2O2 was through a less common two-electron water oxidation reaction(WOR) process in which both the direct and indirect WOR processesoccurred; namely, photoinduced h(+) directly oxidized H2O to H2O2 via a one-step 2e(-) WOR, and photoinduced h(+) first oxidized a hydroxide (OH-) ion to generate a hydroxy radical ((OH)-O-& BULL;), and H2O2 was formed indirectly by thecombination of two (OH)-O-& BULL;. We have characterized thematerial, at the catalytic sites, at the atomic level using electronparamagnetic resonance, X-ray absorption near edge structure, extendedX-ray absorption fine structure, high-resolution transmission electronmicroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magic-angle spinningsolid-state NMR spectroscopy, and multiscale molecular modeling, combiningclassical reactive molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistrycalculations.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001034983300001 Publication Date 2023-07-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0002-7863 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 15 Times cited 21 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes S.D. thanks the IOF grant and Francqui start up grant from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, for the financial support. P.R. thanks CSC and T.Z. thanks FWO for their financial assistance to finish this work. E.D. would like to thank the KU Leuven Research Fund for financial support through STG/21/010. J.S.A. acknowledges financial support from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and EU NextGeneration/PRTR (Project PCI2020-111968/3D-Photocat) and Diamond Synchrotron (rapid access proposal SP32609). This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 770887-PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 815128-REALNANO to S.B.). S.B. and S.V.A. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium, project G.0346.21 N). We also thank Mr. Jian Zhu and Mr. Shahid Ullah Khan from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, for helpful discussions. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 15; 2023 IF: 13.858
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198426 Serial 8831
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Author Arteaga Cardona, F.; Jain, N.; Popescu, R.; Busko, D.; Madirov, E.; Arús, B.A.; Gerthsen, D.; De Backer, A.; Bals, S.; Bruns, O.T.; Chmyrov, A.; Van Aert, S.; Richards, B.S.; Hudry, D.
Title Preventing cation intermixing enables 50% quantum yield in sub-15 nm short-wave infrared-emitting rare-earth based core-shell nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Nature communications Abbreviated Journal Nat Commun
Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 4462
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Short-wave infrared (SWIR) fluorescence could become the new gold standard in optical imaging for biomedical applications due to important advantages such as lack of autofluorescence, weak photon absorption by blood and tissues, and reduced photon scattering coefficient. Therefore, contrary to the visible and NIR regions, tissues become translucent in the SWIR region. Nevertheless, the lack of bright and biocompatible probes is a key challenge that must be overcome to unlock the full potential of SWIR fluorescence. Although rare-earth-based core-shell nanocrystals appeared as promising SWIR probes, they suffer from limited photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The lack of control over the atomic scale organization of such complex materials is one of the main barriers limiting their optical performance. Here, the growth of either homogeneous (α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>) or heterogeneous (CaF<sub>2</sub>) shell domains on optically-active α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>:Yb:Er (with and without Ce<sup>3+</sup>co-doping) core nanocrystals is reported. The atomic scale organization can be controlled by preventing cation intermixing only in heterogeneous core-shell nanocrystals with a dramatic impact on the PLQY. The latter reached 50% at 60 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>; one of the highest reported PLQY values for sub-15 nm nanocrystals. The most efficient nanocrystals were utilized for in vivo imaging above 1450 nm.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001037058500022 Publication Date 2023-07-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2041-1723 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 16.6 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes D.H. would like to thank Dominique Ectors (Bruker AXS GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) for assistance and discussion on the PXRD data and TOPAS evaluations. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Helmholtz Association via: i) the Professorial Recruitment Initiative Funding (B.S.R.); ii) the Research Field Energy – Program Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition – Topic 1 Photovoltaics (F.A.C., D.B., E.M., B.S.R., D.H.). This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 innovation programme under grant agreement 823717. This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 770887-PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 815128-REALNANO to S.B.). The authors acknowledge financial support from the ResearchFoundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0346.21 N to S.V.A. and S.B.) and a postdoctoral grant (A.D.B.). The authors (B.A.A., O.T.B. and A.C.) acknowledge funding from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, the DFG-Emmy Noether program (BR 5355/2-1) and from the CZI Deep Tissue Imaging (DTI-0000000248). The authors (O.T.B. and D.H.) would like to thank the Helmholtz Imaging (ZT-I-PF-4-038-BENIGN). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 16.6; 2023 IF: 12.124
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:198158 Serial 8808
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Author Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Kumar, V.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Chen, Q.; Wirix, M.; Freitag, B.; Albrecht, W.; Van Aert, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S.
Title Thermal Activation of Gold Atom Diffusion in Au@Pt Nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Understanding the thermal stability of bimetallic nanoparticles is of vital importance to preserve their functionalities during their use in a variety of applications. In contrast to well-studied bimetallic systems such as Au@Ag, heat-induced morphological and compositional changes in Au@Pt nanoparticles are insufficiently understood, even though Au@Pt is an important material for catalysis. To investigate the thermal instability of Au@Pt nanorods at temperatures below their bulk melting point, we combined in situ heating with two- and three-dimensional electron microscopy techniques, including three-dimensional energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The experimental results were used as input for molecular dynamics simulations, to unravel the mechanisms behind the morphological transformation of Au@Pt core–shell nanorods. We conclude that thermal stability is influenced not only by the degree of coverage of Pt on Au but also by structural details of the Pt shell.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000819246800001 Publication Date 2022-06-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.B., S.V.A., L.M.L.-M. and A.P.-T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by grant nos. 731019 (EUSMI) and 823717 (ESTEEM3) and ERC Consolidator grant nos. 815128 (REALNANO) and 770887 (PICOMETRICS). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 through grants no. PID2020-117779RB-I00 and Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence no. MDM-2017-0720. The authors acknowledge the resources and services used for the simulations in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government.; esteem3reported; esteem3JRA Approved (up) Most recent IF: 17.1
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:188540 Serial 7072
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Author Milagres de Oliveira, T.; Albrecht, W.; González-Rubio, G.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato Hoyos, I.P.; Béché, A.; Van Aert, S.; Guerrero-Martínez, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S.
Title 3D Characterization and Plasmon Mapping of Gold Nanorods Welded by Femtosecond Laser Irradiation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 14 Issue Pages acsnano.0c02610
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract Ultrafast laser irradiation can induce morphological and structural changes in plasmonic nanoparticles. Gold nanorods (Au NRs), in particular, can be welded together upon irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses, leading to dimers and trimers through the formation of necks between individual nanorods. We used electron tomography to determine the 3D (atomic) structure at such necks for representative welding geometries and to characterize the induced defects. The spatial distribution of localized surface plasmon modes for different welding configurations was assessed by electron energy loss spectroscopy. Additionally, we were able to directly compare the plasmon line width of single-crystalline and welded Au NRs with single defects at the same resonance energy, thus making a direct link between the structural and plasmonic properties. In this manner, we show that the occurrence of (single) defects results in significant plasmon broadening.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000586793400016 Publication Date 2020-08-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants #815128 – REALNANO and #770887 – PICOMETRICS). The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project funding G.0381.16N and G.0267.18N. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie 27 Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 797153, SOPMEN). G.G.-R. acknowledge receipt of FPI Fellowship from the Spanish MINECO. This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) (Grants RTI2018-095844-B-I00 and MAT2017-86659-R) and the Madrid Regional Government (Grant P2018/NMT-4389). A.B. acknowledges funding from FWO project G093417N and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. L.M.L.-M. acknowledges the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MDM-2017-0720); Comunidad de Madrid, P2018/NMT-4389 ; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, MAT2017-86659-R RTI2018-095844-B-I00 ; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, 797153 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0267.18N G.0381.16N G093417N ; H2020 Research Infrastructures, 823717 ; H2020 European Research Council, 770887 815128 ; Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, MDM-2017-0720 ; sygma Approved (up) Most recent IF: 17.1; 2020 IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:172440 Serial 6426
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Author Albrecht, W.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Altantzis, T.; Pedrazo‐Tardajos, A.; Skorikov, A.; Deng, T.‐S.; van der Hoeven, J.E.S.; van Blaaderen, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title 3D Atomic‐Scale Dynamics of Laser‐Light‐Induced Restructuring of Nanoparticles Unraveled by Electron Tomography Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Advanced Materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Mater
Volume Issue Pages 2100972
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract Understanding light–matter interactions in nanomaterials is crucial for

optoelectronic, photonic, and plasmonic applications. Specifically, metal

nanoparticles (NPs) strongly interact with light and can undergo shape

transformations, fragmentation and ablation upon (pulsed) laser excitation.

Despite being vital for technological applications, experimental insight into

the underlying atomistic processes is still lacking due to the complexity of

such measurements. Herein, atomic resolution electron tomography is performed

on the same mesoporous-silica-coated gold nanorod, before and after

femtosecond laser irradiation, to assess the missing information. Combined

with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the experimentally

determined 3D atomic-scale morphology, the complex atomistic rearrangements,

causing shape deformations and defect generation, are unraveled.

These rearrangements are simultaneously driven by surface diffusion, facet

restructuring, and strain formation, and are influenced by subtleties in the

atomic distribution at the surface.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000671662000001 Publication Date 2021-07-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0935-9648 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 19.791 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes W.A. and E.A.I. contributed equally to this work. The authors 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 European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (ERC Advanced Grant No. 291667 – HierarSACol), and the European Commission (EUSMI). W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in the Horizon2020 program (Grant 797153, SOPMEN). T.-S.D. acknowledges financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant No. 61905056). The authors also acknowledge financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Grant G.0267.18N).; sygmaSB Approved (up) Most recent IF: 19.791
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:179781 Serial 6805
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Author Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.; van Dyck, D.
Title Advanced electron microscopy for advanced materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Advanced materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Mater
Volume 24 Issue 42 Pages 5655-5675
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract The idea of this Review is to introduce newly developed possibilities of advanced electron microscopy to the materials science community. Over the last decade, electron microscopy has evolved into a full analytical tool, able to provide atomic scale information on the position, nature, and even the valency atoms. This information is classically obtained in two dimensions (2D), but can now also be obtained in 3D. We show examples of applications in the field of nanoparticles and interfaces.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor
Language Wos 000310602200001 Publication Date 2012-08-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0935-9648; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 19.791 Times cited 107 Open Access
Notes This work was supported by funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC grant No 246791 – COUNTATOMS. J.V. Acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC Starting Grant 278510 VORTEX. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). The Qu-Ant-EM microscope was partly funded by the Hercules Fund from the Flemish Government. We thank Rafal Dunin-Borkowski for providing Figure 5d. The authors would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including K.J. Batenburg, R. Erni, B. Goris, F. Leroux, H. Lichte, A. Lubk, B. Partoens, M. D. Rossell, P. Schattschneider, B. Schoeters, D. Schryvers, H. Tan, H. Tian, S. Turner, M. van Huis. ECASJO_; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 19.791; 2012 IF: 14.829
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:100470UA @ admin @ c:irua:100470 Serial 70
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Author Van Aert, S.; Turner, S.; Delville, R.; Schryvers, D.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Salje, E.K.H.
Title Direct observation of ferrielectricity at ferroelastic domain boundaries in CaTiO3 by electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Advanced materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Mater
Volume 24 Issue 4 Pages 523-527
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract High-resolution aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy aided by statistical parameter estimation theory is used to quantify localized displacements at a (110) twin boundary in orthorhombic CaTiO3. The displacements are 36 pm for the Ti atoms and confined to a thin layer. This is the first direct observation of the generation of ferroelectricity by interfaces inside this material which opens the door for domain boundary engineering.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor
Language Wos 000299156400011 Publication Date 2011-12-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0935-9648; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 19.791 Times cited 150 Open Access
Notes Fwo Approved (up) Most recent IF: 19.791; 2012 IF: 14.829
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:94110 Serial 717
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Author Bals, S.; Goris, B.; Altantzis, T.; Heidari, H.; Van Aert, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Seeing and measuring in 3D with electrons Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Comptes rendus : physique Abbreviated Journal Cr Phys
Volume 15 Issue 2-3 Pages 140-150
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Modern TEM enables the investigation of nanostructures at the atomic scale. However, TEM images are only two-dimensional (2D) projections of a three-dimensional (3D) object. Electron tomography can overcome this limitation. The technique is increasingly focused towards quantitative measurements and reaching atomic resolution in 3D has been the ultimate goal for many years. Therefore, one needs to optimize the acquisition of the data, the 3D reconstruction techniques as well as the quantification methods. Here, we will review a broad range of methodologies and examples. Finally, we will provide an outlook and will describe future challenges in the field of electron tomography.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Paris Editor
Language Wos 000334013600005 Publication Date 2014-01-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1631-0705; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.048 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes (FWO;Belgium); European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7); ERC grant No.246791 – COUNTATOMS; ERC grant No.335078 – COLOURATOMS; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.048; 2014 IF: 2.035
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:113855 Serial 2960
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Author Robert, Hl.; Lobato, I.; Lyu, Fj.; Chen, Q.; Van Aert, S.; Van Dyck, D.; Müller-Caspary, K.
Title Dynamical diffraction of high-energy electrons investigated by focal series momentum-resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy at atomic resolution Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 233 Issue Pages 113425
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract We report a study of scattering dynamics in crystals employing momentum-resolved scanning transmission

electron microscopy under varying illumination conditions. As we perform successive changes of the probe

focus, multiple real-space signals are obtained in dependence of the shape of the incident electron wave.

With support from extensive simulations, each signal is shown to be characterised by an optimum focus for

which the contrast is maximum and which differs among different signals. For instance, a systematic focus

mismatch is found between images formed by high-angle scattering, being sensitive to thickness and chemical

composition, and the first moment in diffraction space, being sensitive to electric fields. It follows that a single

recording at one specific probe focus is usually insufficient to characterise materials comprehensively. Most

importantly, we demonstrate in experiment and simulation that the second moment (
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000734396800009 Publication Date 2021-11-13
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 We thank Dr. Florian Winkler for valuable discussions and experimental work at the early stages of this study. This work was supported by the Initiative and Network Fund of the Helmholtz Association (Germany) under contracts VH-NG-1317 and ZT-I-0025. This project furthermore received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 770887). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:184833 Serial 6898
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Author Sentürk, D.G.; De Backer, A.; Friedrich, T.; Van Aert, S.
Title Optimal experiment design for element specific atom counting using multiple annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy detectors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 242 Issue Pages 113626
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract This paper investigates the possible benefits for counting atoms of different chemical nature when analysing multiple 2D scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images resulting from independent annular dark field (ADF) detector regimes. To reach this goal, the principles of statistical detection theory are used to quantify the probability of error when determining the number of atoms in atomic columns consisting of multiple types of elements. In order to apply this theory, atom-counting is formulated as a statistical hypothesis test, where each hypothesis corresponds to a specific number of atoms of each atom type in an atomic column. The probability of error, which is limited by the unavoidable presence of electron counting noise, can then be computed from scattering-cross sections extracted from multiple ADF STEM images. Minimisation of the probability of error as a function of the inner and outer angles of a specified number of independent ADF collection regimes results in optimal experimental designs. Based on simulations of spherical Au@Ag and Au@Pt core–shell nanoparticles, we investigate how the combination of two non-overlapping detector regimes helps to improve the probability of error when unscrambling two types of atoms. In particular, the combination of a narrow low angle ADF detector with a detector formed by the remaining annular collection regime is found to be optimal. The benefit is more significant if the atomic number Z difference becomes larger. In

addition, we show the benefit of subdividing the detector regime into three collection areas for heterogeneous nanostructures based on a structure consisting of three types of elements, e.g., a mixture of Au, Ag and Al atoms. Finally, these results are compared with the probability of error resulting when one would ultimately use a pixelated 4D STEM detector and how this could help to further reduce the incident electron dose.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000873778100001 Publication Date 0000-00-00
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 work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert and Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0346.21N and EOS 30489208) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF).; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:190925 Serial 7118
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Author Fatermans, J.; den Dekker, Aj.; Müller-Caspary, K.; Gauquelin, N.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S.
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.
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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 (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2020 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:169706 Serial 6373
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Author De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.
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 (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2020 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:172449 Serial 6417
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Backer, A.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S.
Title A decade of atom-counting in STEM: From the first results toward reliable 3D atomic models from a single projection Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 113702
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Quantitative structure determination is needed in order to study and understand nanomaterials at the atomic scale. Materials characterisation resulting in precise structural information is a crucial point to understand the structure–property relation of materials. Counting the number of atoms and retrieving the 3D atomic structure of nanoparticles plays an important role here. In this paper, an overview will be given of the atom-counting methodology and its applications over the past decade. The procedure to count the number of atoms will be discussed in detail and it will be shown how the performance of the method can be further improved. Furthermore, advances toward mixed element nanostructures, 3D atomic modelling based on the atom-counting results, and quantifying the nanoparticle dynamics will be highlighted.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000953765800001 Publication Date 2023-02-10
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 3 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert, Grant 815128 REALNANO to S. Bals, 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 EOS 30489208) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF) . The authors also thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including T. Altantzis, E. Arslan Irmak, K.J. Batenburg, E. Bladt, A. De wael, R. Erni, C. Faes, B. Goris, L. Jones, L.M. Liz-Marzán, I. Lobato, G.T. Martinez, P.D. Nellist, M.D. Rosell, A. Rosenauer, K.H.W. van den Bos, A. Varambhia, and Z. Zhang.; esteem3reported; esteem3JRA Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2023 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195896 Serial 7236
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Author Zhang, Z.; Lobato, I.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; Nellist, P.
Title Fast generation of calculated ADF-EDX scattering cross-sections under channelling conditions Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal
Volume 246 Issue Pages 113671
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Advanced materials often consist of multiple elements which are arranged in a complicated structure. Quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy is useful to determine the composition and thickness of nanostructures at the atomic scale. However, significant difficulties remain to quantify mixed columns by comparing the resulting atomic resolution images and spectroscopy data with multislice simulations where dynamic scattering needs to be taken into account. The combination of the computationally intensive nature of these simulations and the enormous amount of possible mixed column configurations for a given composition indeed severely hamper the quantification process. To overcome these challenges, we here report the development of an incoherent non-linear method for the fast prediction of ADF-EDX scattering cross-sections of mixed columns under channelling conditions. We first explain the origin of the ADF and EDX incoherence from scattering physics suggesting a linear dependence between those two signals in the case of a high-angle ADF detector. Taking EDX as a perfect incoherent reference mode, we quantitatively examine the ADF longitudinal incoherence under different microscope conditions using multislice simulations. Based on incoherent imaging, the atomic lensing model previously developed for ADF is now expanded to EDX, which yields ADF-EDX scattering cross-section predictions in good agreement with multislice simulations for mixed columns in a core–shell nanoparticle and a high entropy alloy. The fast and accurate prediction of ADF-EDX scattering cross-sections opens up new opportunities to explore the wide range of ordering possibilities of heterogeneous materials with multiple elements.
Address
Corporate Author Zezhong Zhang Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000995063900001 Publication Date 2022-12-28
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 2.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes European Research Council 770887 PICOMETRICS; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek No.G.0502.18N; Horizon 2020, 770887 ; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; European Research Council, 823717 ESTEEM3 ; esteem3reported; esteem3JRa Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2023 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195890 Serial 7251
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lobato, I.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.
Title Real-time simulations of ADF STEM probe position-integrated scattering cross-sections for single element fcc crystals in zone axis orientation using a densely connected neural network Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 251 Issue Pages 113769
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Quantification of annular dark field (ADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images in terms

of composition or thickness often relies on probe-position integrated scattering cross sections (PPISCS). In

order to compare experimental PPISCS with theoretically predicted ones, expensive simulations are needed for

a given specimen, zone axis orientation, and a variety of microscope settings. The computation time of such

simulations can be in the order of hours using a single GPU card. ADF STEM simulations can be efficiently

parallelized using multiple GPUs, as the calculation of each pixel is independent of other pixels. However, most

research groups do not have the necessary hardware, and, in the best-case scenario, the simulation time will

only be reduced proportionally to the number of GPUs used. In this manuscript, we use a learning approach and

present a densely connected neural network that is able to perform real-time ADF STEM PPISCS predictions as

a function of atomic column thickness for most common face-centered cubic (fcc) crystals (i.e., Al, Cu, Pd, Ag,

Pt, Au and Pb) along [100] and [111] zone axis orientations, root-mean-square displacements, and microscope

parameters. The proposed architecture is parameter efficient and yields accurate predictions for the PPISCS

values for a wide range of input parameters that are commonly used for aberration-corrected transmission

electron microscopes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001011617200001 Publication Date 2023-06-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G034621N and G0A7723N) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF), Belgium. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2023 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197275 Serial 8812
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Author Şentürk, DG.; Yu, CP.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.
Title Atom counting from a combination of two ADF STEM images Type A1 Journal article
Year 2024 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 255 Issue Pages 113859
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract To understand the structure–property relationship of nanostructures, reliably quantifying parameters, such as the number of atoms along the projection direction, is important. Advanced statistical methodologies have made it possible to count the number of atoms for monotype crystalline nanoparticles from a single ADF STEM image. Recent developments enable one to simultaneously acquire multiple ADF STEM images. Here, we present an extended statistics-based method for atom counting from a combination of multiple statistically independent ADF STEM images reconstructed from non-overlapping annular detector collection regions which improves the accuracy and allows one to retrieve precise atom-counts, especially for images acquired with low electron doses and multiple element structures.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001089064200001 Publication Date 2023-09-23
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 work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G034621N, G0A7723N, and EOS 40007495) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2024 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:201008 Serial 8964
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Author Şentürk, D.G.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.
Title Element specific atom counting for heterogeneous nanostructures: Combining multiple ADF STEM images for simultaneous thickness and composition determination Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2024 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 259 Issue Pages 113941
Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
Abstract In this paper, a methodology is presented to count the number of atoms in heterogeneous nanoparticles based on the combination of multiple annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF STEM) images. The different non-overlapping annular detector collection regions are selected based on the principles of optimal statistical experiment design for the atom-counting problem. To count the number of atoms, the total intensities of scattered electrons for each atomic column, the so-called scattering cross-sections, are simultaneously compared with simulated library values for the different detector regions by minimising the squared differences. The performance of the method is evaluated for simulated Ni@Pt and Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles. Our approach turns out to be a dose efficient alternative for the investigation of beam-sensitive heterogeneous materials as compared to the combination of ADF STEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-02-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0346.21N, GOA7723N, and EOS 40007495) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.2; 2024 IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:204353 Serial 8996
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Aert, S.; den Dekker, A.J.; van den Bos, A.; van Dyck, D.
Title High-resolution electron microscopy : from imaging toward measuring Type A1 Journal article
Year 2002 Publication IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement Abbreviated Journal Ieee T Instrum Meas
Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 611-615
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor
Language Wos 000178992000010 Publication Date 2003-01-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0018-9456; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.456 Times cited 13 Open Access
Notes Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.456; 2002 IF: 0.592
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:47521 Serial 1450
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Jain, N.; Hao, Y.; Parekh, U.; Kaltenegger, M.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Lazzaroni, R.; Resel, R.; Geerts, Y.H.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S.
Title Exploring the effects of graphene and temperature in reducing electron beam damage: A TEM and electron diffraction-based quantitative study on Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc) crystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Micron Abbreviated Journal
Volume 169 Issue Pages 103444
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of organic crystals, such as Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc), is very challenging since these materials are prone to electron beam damage leading to the breakdown of the crystal structure during investigation. Quantification of the damage is imperative to enable high-resolution imaging of PbPc crystals with minimum structural changes. In this work, we performed a detailed electron diffraction study to quantitatively measure degradation of PbPc crystals upon electron beam irradiation. Our study is based on the quantification of the fading intensity of the spots in the electron diffraction patterns. At various incident dose rates (e/Å2/s) and acceleration voltages, we experimentally extracted the decay rate (1/s), which directly correlates with the rate of beam damage. In this manner, a value for the critical dose (e/Å2) could be determined, which can be used as a measure to quantify beam damage. Using the same methodology, we explored the influence of cryogenic temperatures, graphene TEM substrates, and graphene encapsulation in prolonging the lifetime of the PbPc crystal structure during TEM investigation. The knowledge obtained by diffraction experiments is then translated to real space high-resolution TEM imaging of PbPc.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000965998800001 Publication Date 2023-03-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0968-4328 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.4 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work is supported by FWO and FNRS within the 2Dto3D network of the EOS (Excellence of Science) program (grant number 30489208) and ERC-CoGREALNANO-815128 (to Prof. Dr. Sara Bals). N.J. would like to thank Dr. Kunal S. Mali and Dr. Da Wang for useful and interesting discussions on sample preparation procedures. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.4; 2023 IF: 1.98
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:196069 Serial 7379
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Boschker, H.; Huijben, M.; Vailinois, A.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S.; Luysberg, M.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Houwman, E.P.; Koster, G.; Blank, D.H.A.; Rijnders, G.
Title Optimized fabrication of high-quality La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films considering all essential characteristics Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 44 Issue 20 Pages 205001-205001,9
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract In this paper, an overview of the fabrication and properties of high-quality La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films is given. A high-quality LSMO film combines a smooth surface morphology with a large magnetization and a small residual resistivity, while avoiding precipitates and surface segregation. In the literature, typically only a few of these issues are adressed. We therefore present a thorough characterization of our films, which were grown by pulsed laser deposition. The films were characterized with reflection high energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, magnetization and transport measurements, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The films have a saturation magnetization of 4.0 µB/Mn, a Curie temperature of 350 K and a residual resistivity of 60 µΩ cm. These results indicate that high-quality films, combining both large magnetization and small residual resistivity, were realized. A comparison between different samples presented in the literature shows that focussing on a single property is insufficient for the optimization of the deposition process. For high-quality films, all properties have to be adressed. For LSMO devices, the thin-film quality is crucial for the device performance. Therefore, this research is important for the application of LSMO in devices.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
Language Wos 000290150900001 Publication Date 2011-04-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 99 Open Access
Notes This research was financially supported by the Dutch Science Foundation, by NanoNed, a nanotechnology program of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, and by the NanOxide program of the European Science Foundation. This work is supported in part by the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.588; 2011 IF: 2.544
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:89557UA @ admin @ c:irua:89557 Serial 2491
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Guzzinati, G.; Altantzis, T.; Batuk, M.; De Backer, A.; Lumbeeck, G.; Samaee, V.; Batuk, D.; Idrissi, H.; Hadermann, J.; Van Aert, S.; Schryvers, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.
Title Recent Advances in Transmission Electron Microscopy for Materials Science at the EMAT Lab of the University of Antwerp Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Materials Abbreviated Journal Materials
Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 1304
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The rapid progress in materials science that enables the design of materials down to the nanoscale also demands characterization techniques able to analyze the materials down to the same scale, such as transmission electron microscopy. As Belgium’s foremost electron microscopy group, among the largest in the world, EMAT is continuously contributing to the development of TEM techniques, such as high-resolution imaging, diffraction, electron tomography, and spectroscopies, with an emphasis on quantification and reproducibility, as well as employing TEM methodology at the highest level to solve real-world materials science problems. The lab’s recent contributions are presented here together with specific case studies in order to highlight the usefulness of TEM to the advancement of materials science.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000444112800041 Publication Date 2018-07-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1996-1944 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.654 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N AUHA13009 ; European Research Council, COLOURATOM 335078 ; Universiteit Antwerpen, GOA Solarpaint ; G. Guzzinati, T. Altantzis and A. De Backer have been supported by postdoctoral fellowship grants from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Funding was also received from the European Research Council (starting grant no. COLOURATOM 335078), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 770887), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N, G.0401.16N) and from the University of Antwerp through GOA project Solarpaint. Funding for the TopSPIN precession system under grant AUHA13009, as well as for the Qu-Ant-EM microscope, is acknowledged from the HERCULES Foundation. H. Idrissi is mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS). (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.654
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:153737UA @ admin @ c:irua:153737 Serial 5064
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Aert, S.; den Dekker, A.J.; van Dyck, D.; van den Bos, A.
Title High-resolution electron microscopy and electron tomography: resolution versus precision Type A1 Journal article
Year 2002 Publication Journal of structural biology Abbreviated Journal J Struct Biol
Volume 138 Issue Pages 21-33
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication New York Editor
Language Wos 000177978800003 Publication Date 2002-09-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1047-8477; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.767 Times cited 33 Open Access
Notes Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.767; 2002 IF: 4.194
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:47520 Serial 1446
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Yu, C.-P.; Friedrich, T.; Jannis, D.; Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.
Title Real-Time Integration Center of Mass (riCOM) Reconstruction for 4D STEM Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal
Volume Issue Pages 1-12
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A real-time image reconstruction method for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is proposed. With an algorithm requiring only the center of mass of the diffraction pattern at one probe position at a time, it is able to update the resulting image each time a new probe position is visited without storing any intermediate diffraction patterns. The results show clear features at high spatial frequency, such as atomic column positions. It is also demonstrated that some common post-processing methods, such as band-pass filtering, can be directly integrated in the real-time processing flow. Compared with other reconstruction methods, the proposed method produces high-quality reconstructions with good noise robustness at extremely low memory and computational requirements. An efficient, interactive open source implementation of the concept is further presented, which is compatible with frame-based, as well as event-based camera/file types. This method provides the attractive feature of immediate feedback that microscope operators have become used to, for example, conventional high-angle annular dark field STEM imaging, allowing for rapid decision-making and fine-tuning to obtain the best possible images for beam-sensitive samples at the lowest possible dose.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000792176100001 Publication Date 2022-04-25
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 7 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds UGent; H2020 European Research Council, 770887 ; H2020 European Research Council, 823717 ; H2020 European Research Council, ESTEEM3 / 823717 ; H2020 European Research Council, PICOMETRICS / 770887 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 30489208 ; Herculesstichting; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.8
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:188538 Serial 7068
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Yu, C.-P.; Sentürk, D.G.; Lobato, I.; Faes, C.; Van Aert, S.
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 (up) Most recent IF: 2.8
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:190585 Serial 7119
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lobato, I.; Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.
Title Progress and new advances in simulating electron microscopy datasets using MULTEM Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 168 Issue 168 Pages 17-27
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A new version of the open source program MULTEM is presented here. It includes a graphical user interface, tapering truncation of the atomic potential, CPU multithreading functionality, single/double precision calculations, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) simulations using experimental detector sensitivities, imaging STEM (ISTEM) simulations, energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) simulations, STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) simulations along with other improvements in the algorithms. We also present a mixed channeling approach for the calculation of inelastic excitations, which allows one to considerably speed up time consuming EFTEM/STEM-EELS calculations.
Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Department of Physics, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000380754100003 Publication Date 2016-06-11
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 European Union under the Seventh Framework Program under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative. Reference No. 312483- ESTEEM2. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0374.13N, G.0369.15N and G.0368.15N).; esteem2jra3; esteem2na3; esteem2_jra2 Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number c:irua:134088 c:irua:134088UA @ admin @ c:irua:134088 Serial 4093
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gonnissen, J.; De Backer, A.; den Dekker, A.J.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S.
Title Detecting and locating light atoms from high-resolution STEM images: The quest for a single optimal design Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 170 Issue 170 Pages 128-138
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract In the present paper, the optimal detector design is investigated for both detecting and locating light atoms from high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR STEM) images. The principles of detection theory are used to quantify the probability of error for the detection of light atoms from HR STEM images. To determine the optimal experiment design for locating light atoms, use is made of the so-called Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB). It is investigated if a single optimal design can be found for both the detection and location problem of light atoms. Furthermore, the incoming electron dose is optimised for both research goals and it is shown that picometre range precision is feasible for the estimation of the atom positions when using an appropriate incoming electron dose under the optimal detector settings to detect light atoms.
Address Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: sandra.vanaert@uantwerpen.be
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000386925500014 Publication Date 2016-07-26
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 6 Open Access
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0368.15, G.0369.15 and G.0374.13) and a postdoctoral research grant to A. De Backer. The research leading to these results has also received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under Grant agreement no. 312483 (ESTEEM2). The authors would also like to thank A. Rosenauer for providing access to the STEMsim software and Gerardo T. Martinez for fruitful discussions.; esteem2_jra2 Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number c:irua:135337 c:irua:135337 Serial 4128
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Backer, A.; van den Bos, K.H.W.; Van den Broek, W.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S.
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 (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:135516 Serial 4280
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Author Martinez, G.T.; van den Bos, K.H.W.; Alania, M.; Nellist, P.D.; Van Aert, S.
Title Thickness dependence of scattering cross-sections in quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 187 Issue Pages 84-92
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract In quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), scattering cross-sections have been shown to be very sensitive to the number of atoms in a column and its composition. They correspond to the integrated intensity over the atomic column and they outperform other measures. As compared to atomic column peak intensities, which saturate at a given thickness, scattering cross-sections increase monotonically. A study of the electron wave propagation is presented to explain the sensitivity of the scattering cross-sections. Based on the multislice algorithm, we analyse the wave propagation inside the crystal and its link to the scattered signal for the different probe positions contained in the scattering cross-section for detector collection in the low-, middle- and high-angle regimes. The influence to the signal from scattering of neighbouring columns is also discussed.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000428131200011 Publication Date 2018-01-31
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 4 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 01.02.2020
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings ( G.0374.13N , G.0369.15N , G.0368.15N and WO.010.16N ) and a PhD grant to K.H.W.v.d.B. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union 7th Framework Programme [ FP7 /2007-2013] under Grant agreement no. 312483 (ESTEEM2). The authors are grateful to A. Rosenauer for providing access to the StemSim software. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149384 Serial 4809
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Author van den Bos, K.H.W.; Krause, F.F.; Béché, A.; Verbeeck, J.; Rosenauer, A.; Van Aert, S.
Title Locating light and heavy atomic column positions with picometer precision using ISTEM Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 172 Issue 172 Pages 75-81
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Recently, imaging scanning transmission electron microscopy (ISTEM) has been proposed as a promising new technique combining the advantages of conventional TEM (CTEM) and STEM [1]. The ability to visualize light and heavy elements together makes it a particularly interesting new, spatially incoherent imaging mode. Here, we evaluate this technique in term of precision with which atomic column locations can be measured. By using statistical parameter estimation theory, we will show that these locations can be accurately measured with a precision in the picometer range. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison is made with HAADF STEM imaging to investigate the advantages of ISTEM.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000390600200009 Publication Date 2016-10-09
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 8 Open Access
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 by a Ph.D. grant to K.H.W. van den Bos. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under Contract No. RO 2057/4-2 and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2. We thank Prof. G. Koster from the University of Twente for kindly providing us with the PbTiO3 test sample. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:136109UA @ admin @ c:irua:136109 Serial 4288
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Author Gonnissen, J.; De Backer, A.; den Dekker, A.J.; Sijbers, J.; Van Aert, S.
Title Atom-counting in High Resolution Electron Microscopy: TEM or STEM – that's the question Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 174 Issue 174 Pages 112-120
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract In this work, a recently developed quantitative approach based on the principles of detection theory is used in order to determine the possibilities and limitations of High Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR STEM) and HR TEM for atom-counting. So far, HR STEM has been shown to be an appropriate imaging mode to count the number of atoms in a projected atomic column. Recently, it has been demonstrated that HR TEM, when using negative spherical aberration imaging, is suitable for atom-counting as well. The capabilities of both imaging techniques are investigated and compared using the probability of error as a criterion. It is shown that for the same incoming electron dose, HR STEM outperforms HR TEM under common practice standards, i.e. when the decision is based on the probability function of the peak intensities in HR TEM and of the scattering cross-sections in HR STEM. If the atom-counting decision is based on the joint probability function of the image pixel values, the dependence of all image pixel intensities as a function of thickness should be known accurately. Under this assumption, the probability of error may decrease significantly for atom-counting in HR TEM and may, in theory, become lower as compared to HR STEM under the predicted optimal experimental settings. However, the commonly used standard for atom-counting in HR STEM leads to a high performance and has been shown to work in practice.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000403342200013 Publication Date 2016-10-27
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 2 Open Access
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, G.0374.13N, and WO.010.16N) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under Grant agreement no. 312483 (ESTEEM2). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:137102 Serial 4315
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