Physical and Practical Challenges in Analytical Electron Tomography of Aluminum Alloys

For a thorough understanding of a material, investigations at the nanoscale are often essential. Analytical techniques like electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) in probe corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) can reveal important chemical information necessary for the development and improvement of high-tech materials. The integrative character of the signal acquired through transmission, however, might hide important structural details of the material, relevant for its properties. Those details can be revealed through electron tomography, where the data is acquired at different tilt angles and, after alignment, reconstructed to form a full 3D model of the material under investigation. The combination of both techniques, analytical STEM and tomography, gives full insight into structure and composition of a material [1]. This novel technique is not yet well established and various experimental challenges remain, especially if a quantitative analysis of the material is the ultimate goal.