%0 Journal Article
%T In Situ Real-Time TEM Reveals Growth, Transformation and Function in One-Dimensional Nanoscale Materials: From a Nanotechnology Perspective
%A Nikolay Petkov
%J ISRN Nanotechnology
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/893060
%X This paper summarises recent developments in in situ TEM instrumentation and operation conditions. The focus of the discussion is on demonstrating how improved understanding of fundamental physical phenomena associated with nanowire or nanotube materials, revealed by following transformations in real time and high resolution, can assist the engineering of emerging electronic and optoelectronic devices. Special attention is given to Si, Ge, and compound semiconductor nanowires and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as one of the most promising building blocks for devices inspired by nanotechnology. 1. Introduction Every aspect of basic nanoscale science as well as commercial production of nanotechnologies is dependent upon the capacity of instruments and methodologies to measure, sense, fabricate, and manipulate matter at the nanoscale. Microscopy has the advantage over other characterisation techniques (e.g., bulk spectroscopy or electrical testing) in that it is descriptive, producing images of objects that are directly related to their structure, morphology, and composition, and hence it directly uncovers spatial heterogeneities. Nowadays, lattice resolution images of crystalline materials are acquired routinely by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using conventional TEM optics. In the last few years, the state-of-the-art has become the sub-Angstroms resolution imaging and analysis, achieved through the use of image or probe aberration-corrected TEM instruments [1]. Using the ability of forming an extremely small and intense electron probe within aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), quantifiable images of atomic columns and indeed atom-by-atom visualisation have been demonstrated [2]. Observing processes ¡°on site¡± as they are occurring and under changing external stimuli is the paramount goal of in situ time resolved techniques. Various in situ and operandi techniques have emerged and are gaining importance in different areas of science and engineering. In the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology, there are only a handful of techniques that can merge extreme spatial resolution with the possibility of in situ real-time detection. Among them, in situ electron microscopy is probably the most versatile and mature technique, and it has been a topic of separate workshops, dedicated books, and extended reviews [3¨C12]. It emerged in the 1960s, driven by the technology needs to examine stability and radiation damage of materials for aviation, nuclear reactors, and space exploration. In the past, it was not rare
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.nanotechnology/2013/893060/