Enhanced Bragg Filter: A New Drift Correction Method for Low-dose High-Resolution STEM Images

Abstract

High-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM) images play a critical role in the structural characterization of chemical materials. However, drift correction is a critical challenge in imaging beam-sensitive materials, where sample motion and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) hinder high-resolution image reconstruction. In this study, we propose an enhanced Bragg filter (EBF) method for robust drift correction and high-resolution reconstruction of HAADF-STEM images. The EBF method involves the semi-manual selection of reflection spots to extract periodic lattice features, which significantly enhance the SNR and preserve periodicity in low-dose images. We demonstrate the superior performance of the method by comparing it with conventional low-pass and band-pass filters. The effectiveness of the EBF method is validated on ZSM-5 zeolite crystals, achieving a spatial resolution of 1.25 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) and enabling precise tracking of structural evolution under electron beam exposure. Furthermore, we apply the EBF method for super-resolution imaging of ZSM-5 at low magnification, enriching structural details without compromising the field of view. This study presents a robust solution for imaging beam-sensitive materials and advancing low-dose electron microscopy techniques.

Keywords

STEM image series / Drift correction / Enhanced Bragg filter / Beam-sensitive material / Super-resolution / Physical Sciences / Other Physical Sciences

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH