Various materials properties used in many industrial fields can be caused by fine fluctuations of structural arrangements, compositions, and chemical bonding states in atomic scale. It is important to measure such local fluctuations in materials accurately and precisely, which requires both atomic-level spatial resolution and single-atom sensitivity in characterization. In this research division, we conduct materials fine-structure characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in combination with chemical composition/sate analysis through X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (XEDS) and electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS). In addition, we also develop more efficient analytical techniques with higher analytical sensitivities in those spectrometry-based approaches for determination of various materials properties, and we apply those advanced approaches for materials development.
Materials Processing and Characterization Division
Analytical Science Research Laboratory
Prof.Tetsu ICHITSUBO
Prof.Masashi WATANABE
Development and Applications of Nano Fine-Structure Characterization and Chemical Analysis for Understanding Various Materials Properties
electron microscopy, spectrometry, materials characterization
Direct observation of bismuth atom segregation on a Copper grain boundary by high-angle annular dark-field STEM imaging
Atomic-resolution elemental maps of strontium titanite by high-resolution STEM-XEDS
Atomic-resolution elemental maps around an Al/Al3Li interface by high-resolution STEM-EELS