A method for thin foil thickness determination by transmission electron microscopy

With the intention of determining the local thickness within a crystalline thin foil specimen, by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a method previously proposed by Zuo and Shi [J.M. Zuo, Y.F. Shi, Microsc. Microanal. 7 (Suppl. 2) (2001) 224-225] was applied. Using the convergent beam technique, with the incident beam parallel to a zone axis with low indices, diffraction patterns were obtained for some aluminum alloys with low solute content. These patterns were contrasted with those obtained from simulations based on the dynamic theory with Bloch's waves formalism. The local thickness of the thin foil was then obtained by visually comparing the simulated patterns with the experimental one.Comparison of the proposed method with that based on the analysis of two-beam convergent beam patterns [P.M. Kelly, A. Jostsons, R.G. Blake, J.G. Napier, Phys. Stat. Solidi (a) 31 (1975) 771-780] and with that based on the ratio of intensity of the zero loss peak to the total intensity in an electron energy loss spectrum [R.F. Egerton, Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope, second ed., Plenum Press, New York, 1996] was carried out. A very good agreement between thicknesses determined using the different methods was found. The sensitivity of the method of Zuo et al. was found to be about 1 or 2 nm. The advantages and limitations of the different methods are discussed. The method of Zuo et al. can provide fast and reliable results and can be applied in all modern instruments.