Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

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TEM transmits a high-energy electron beam through a thin sample (< 100 nm) [4].

• Resolution: sub-ångström with aberration-corrected instruments.

• Contrast mechanisms: mass-thickness contrast, diffraction contrast, phase contrast (HRTEM).

• Applications: atomic-resolution structure, lattice defects, grain boundaries, interface chemistry.

• Challenges: laborious sample preparation (FIB lamella), beam sensitivity of battery materials (e.g., lithium compounds), small field of view.

See also

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) — for whole-particle, surface-level imaging

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) — for force-based, non-electron imaging

• Key Imaging Techniques — every other imaging technique