Abstract: Nanostructured Sm-Fe-Mo semi-hard magnetic material exhibiting enhanced magnetic properties can be produced by ball milling followed by recrystallization. Milled samples were annealed for 30 min in a vacuum at different temperatures (T-A) between 700 and 1190 degrees C. The effects of heat treatment and Mo content on structural and magnetic property changes have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction using the Rietvekl method, transmission electron microscopy and magnetic measurements. For samples annealed at T-A > 900 degrees C the tetragonal ThMn12-type structure is identified, while for 700 < T-A < 900 degrees C a new out of equilibrium P6/mmm type structure was found as the major phase. This novel nanocrystalline phase has never been synthesized before. The correspondent stoichiometry is determined on the basis of the vacancy model. The Rietveld analysis gives a stoichiometry ratio equal to 1:10, for the out of equilibrium hexagonal phase, which is described with three crystallographic transition metal sites: 3g is fully occupied, 61 occupation is limited to hexagons surrounding the Fe dumbbell pairs 2e. We have performed a magnetic and structural study of nanocrystalline metastable P6/mrnm Sm(Fe1-xMo)(10), correlated with structural transformation towards its equilibrium derivative 14/mrnm Sm(Fe1-xMo)(12). A maximum of the coercive field H-C (H-C > 5 kOe) has been observed for the new hexagonal P6/rnmm phase suggesting that nanocrystalline Sm(Fe,Mo)(10), is a semi hard material, and is potential candidate for magnetic recording. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Nanoscience and nanotechnologies are of immense importance across many fields of science and for numerous practical applications. In this context, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and 4D-STEM are among the most powerful characterization methods at the atomic scale. Annular dark-field (ADF)-STEM can be used to quantify atomic structures in 3D by counting atoms based on a single projection image. In 4D-STEM a full diffraction pattern is recorded at each scan step, which enables more dose efficient imaging and the utilization of various advanced imaging modalities, which can however be complex and slow. Both, STEM and 4D-STEM suffer from noise and distortions. In the first section of this work the most important of these distortions are discussed and it is shown how image restoration with a dedicated convolutional neural network (CNN) can be beneficial for atomic structure quantifications in ADF-STEM. In the second part, a new 4D-STEM imaging method real-time-integrated-centre-of-mass (riCOM) is introduced, which is a very dose-efficient and fast algorithm that enables unprecedented live-imaging capabilities for 4D-STEM. It is based on the integrated centre-of-mass approach, but is reformulated with variable integration ranges and optional filters, which allows for a tunable contrast transfer function. This enables the imaging of light and heavy elements simultaneously at very low doses. In the third part another new 4D-STEM method, coined AIRPI (AI-assisted rapid phase imaging) is introduced, which uses a CNN to retrieve a patch of the specimen's phase image for each scan position, based on the diffraction patterns in the probe's immediate surroundings. This allows also live imaging in principle and surpasses comparable state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of resolution also at low doses. Different atomic columns can be reliably distinguished over a wide range of atomic numbers, enabling a very good image interpretability. Further, AIRPI can recover low frequency image components, which preserves thickness information. This is a unique and important feature which could make quantitative 4D-STEM feasible.

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.

Abstract: In the last few decades, nanostructuring has driven significant attention towards the development of novel metallic materials with advanced mechanical properties. Nanocrystalline (nc) metals are a class of nanostructured materials with grain sizes smaller than about 100 nm. These exhibit outstanding mechanical strength and fatigue properties compared to their coarse-grained (cg) counterparts. These are promising candidates for application as structural or functional materials. Nc metals in the form of thin films are employed as hard coatings on bulk components, structural components, and conductive layers in various micro-/nanoscale devices. These structural components and devices are often subjected to cyclic stresses or fatigue loading. Under these cyclic stresses, nc metals tend to exhibit the Bauschinger effect (BE). The strength loss during the BE is of great importance concerning the strength-ductility trade-off in nc metals. Furthermore, contact surfaces of the engineering components in service often undergo relative motion and are subject to both friction and wear. These extreme loading conditions demand nc metals with tailored interfacial characteristics for improved tribological performance. Aiming at ensuring high reliability and mechanical robustness for optimum performance of these components, there has been a strong motivation for understanding the mechanical properties and governing deformation mechanisms in nc metallic materials. This thesis aimed at in-depth investigation of microstructures at micro-/nanoscales using state-of-the-art in situ and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to develop a closer link between the deformation structure and underlying deformation mechanisms in some nc metallic materials. The thesis has primarily focused on the in situ TEM nanomechanics of the BE and rotational deformation of grains in nc palladium thin films. A sputtered thin film of nc Pd was deformed inside TEM by cyclic loading-unloading experiments and the evolving microstructure was studied in real-time under different TEM imaging modes. The stress-strain response of the film exhibited a characteristic non-linear unloading behavior confirming the BE in the film. The corresponding bright-field TEM imaging revealed evidence of partially reversible dislocation activity. Towards a quantitative understanding of the deformation structure in real-time, in situ nanomechanical testing was coupled with precession-assisted automated crystal orientation mapping in scanning TEM (ACOM-STEM). Global ACOM-STEM analysis offered crystal orientation of a large number of grains at different states of deformation and confirmed partially reversible rotations of nanosized grains fitting to the observed BE during loading and unloading. Analysis of intragranular rotations showed substantial changes in the sub-structure within most of these grains indicating a dominant role of dislocation-based processes in driving these rotations. Globally, an unusually random evolution of texture was seen that demonstrated the influence of deformation heterogeneity and grain interactions on the resulting texture characteristics in nc metals. In the quest of understanding the grain interactions, local investigations based on annular dark-field STEM imaging during loading-unloading showed reversible changes in the contrast of grains with sets of adjoining grains exhibiting a unique cooperative rotation. Local analysis of the density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) showed the formation of dislocation pile-up at grain boundaries due to the generation of back-stresses during unloading. Critical observations of the evolution of GND density offered greater insights into the mechanism of cooperative grain rotations and these rotations were related to grain structure and grain boundary characteristics. In addition to understanding the influence of grain structure and grain boundaries, the thesis has further investigated the role of heterointerfaces in sputtered Au-Cu and Cu-Cr nanocrystalline multilayered composites (NMCs) deformed under cyclic sliding contact. The microstructural evolution in the NMCs was investigated at different deformation states by classical TEM imaging, ACOM-STEM as well as energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). Au-Cu NMC with an initial high density of twin boundaries deformed by stress-driven detwinning with a concurrent change in grain structure in both Au and Cu. The formation of a vortex structure was observed due to plastic flow instabilities at Au-Cu interfaces that led to codeformation and mechanical intermixing. Cu-Cr NMC showed a preferential grain growth in Cu layers whereas no noticeable change in the grain sizes was seen in Cr layers. The phase maps revealed sharp interfaces between Cu and Cr layers indicating no intermixing between the immiscible phases. EFTEM results exposed the cracking processes in Cr layers with a concurrent migration of Cu in the cracks. Overall, the thesis has attempted to analyze the competing deformation processes and relate these with the microstructural heterogeneity in terms of grain structure and GB and interfacial characteristics in nc metallic materials.

Abstract: The motivation for the present study is to be found in the recent experiments of Fuchizaki and Hamaya on GeI4. They observed a rapid increase in the melting temperature Tm in going from atmospheric pressure to p
~ 2.6 GPa. Tm was found to be largely independent of pressure above this value. In this paper, heuristic arguments are presented to support the idea that until some critical pressure, a crystalline phase of SnI4, CCl4 and GeI4 molecular solids melts into a low density liquid. However, at this critical pressure, a phase boundary intersects Tm(p), separating a low density liquid phase from a high density liquid. The new phase boundary is between the crystal and an amorphous molecular solid with increasing polymerisation as the pressure is increased.

Abstract: First results on the imaging of intact metalorganic framework (MOF) pores in MOF-5 nanocrystals by aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) under liquid nitrogen conditions are presented. The applied technique is certainly transferable to other MOF systems, permitting detailed studies of MOF interfaces, MOFnanoparticle interaction and MOF thin films.

Abstract: Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to quantitatively characterize the average particle size and size distribution of free-standing TiB2 particles and TiB2 particles in an insitu grown Al–TiB2 composite. The detailed evaluations were carried out by X-ray line profile analysis using the restrictedmoment method and multiplewhole profile fitting procedure (MWP). Both numericalmethods indicate that the formed TiB2 particles are well crystallized and free of crystal defects. The average particle size determined from different Bragg reflections by the restricted moment method ranges between 25 and 55 nm, where the smallest particle size is determined using the 110 reflection suggesting the highest lateral-growth velocity of (110) facets. TheMWP method has shown that the in-situ grown TiB2 particles have a very low dislocation density (~1011 m−2) and their size distribution can be described by a log-normal distribution. Good agreement was found between the results obtained from the restricted moment and MWP methods, which was further confirmed by TEM.

Abstract: Currently, a large variety of materials are studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as it offers the possibility to perform structural and elemental analysis at a local scale. Relatively recent advances in aberration correctors and electron sources allow the instrument to achieve atomic resolution. Along with these advances, a state-of-the-art technology has been reached in TEM. However, the instrument is far from being perfect and imperfections or external sources can make the interpretation of information troublesome. Environmental factors such as acoustic and mechanical vibrations, temperature fluctuations, etc., can induce sample drift and create image distortions. These distortions are enhanced in scanning operation because of the serial acquisition of the information, which are more apparent at atomic resolution as small field of views are imaged. In addition, scanning distortions are induced due to the finite time response of the scan coils. These types of distortions would reduce precision in atomic-scale strain analysis, for instance, in semiconductors. Most of the efforts to correct these distortions are focused on data processing techniques post-acquisition. Another limitation in TEM is beam damage effects. Beam damage arises because of the energy transferred to the sample in electron-sample interactions. In scanning TEM, at atomic resolution, the increased electron charge density (electron dose) carried on a sub-Å size electron probe may aggravate beam damage effects. Soft materials such as zeolites, organic, biological materials, etc., can be destroyed under irradiation limiting the amount of information that can be acquired. Current efforts to circumvent beam damage are mostly based on low electron dose acquisitions and data processing methods to maximize the signal at low dose conditions. In this thesis, a different approach is given to address drift and scanning distortions, as well as beam damage effects. Novel scan strategies are proposed for that purpose, which are shown to substantially overcome these issues compared to the standard scan method in TEM.