High-Resolution Z-contrast Imaging STEM images of La, Sm, Er, Yb, and Lu-doped Si3N4. The matrix grain is oriented along the [0001] zone axis such that the open Si3N4 crystal structure is clearly visible at the atomic level and its prismatic plane faces an amorphous intergranular phase. The images show how the Si3N4 crystal structure ends with open hexagonal rings. For a material with strong covalent bonding this seems unusual, but it indicates that the prismatic plane may contain dangling bonds that can attract atoms from the intergranular phase. The attachment of the heavy atoms is proven by the Z-contrast technique, in which the heavier atoms appear brighter.

Core-Loss Spectroscopy Oxygen K-edges (left) of a silicate particle containing nanopores filled with gaseous matter (right); (from top to bottom) spectrum recorded on a pore, spectrum from the silicate matrix, and the difference spectrum, which shows strong absorption features characteristic for oxygen gas (O2, p* and s* peaks) and weaker ones for water (534 and 536 eV). The spectra were recorded using a ~1-nm diameter monochromated electron probe, with 0.2 eV energy resolution.

Low-Loss Spectroscopy Room-temperature valence electron energy-loss spectrum of a superconducting Y1Ba2Cu3O7-d sample in [100] direction (red), revealing a band gap of 1.4 eV. A Kramers-Kronig analysis yields the real (green) and the imaginary (blue) part of the dielectric function describing the dispersion and absorption characteristics of the material. The energy resolution is 0.2 eV, the spatial resolution ~1 nm.

High-Resolution TEM Imaging Twin boundary in gold imaged by high-resolution phase contrast imaging (left) and the same area imaged using Z-contrast imaging in scanning mode (right). The arrows indicate the {111}-type twin plane.