I n t roduc t ion The narrow depth of field of the light microscope is either an asset or a liability depend microscopist. Occasionally, by limiting the image to a narrow plane in the vertical axis, i observer’s attention by isolating structures in a thick sample, perm object while ignoring distracting elements abov cases, this feature is a liability when the object’s importance lies in its thr...

We report the formation of solid-state nanopores using a scanning helium ion microscope. The fabrication process offers the advantage of high sample throughput along with fine control over nanopore dimensions, producing single pores with diameters below 4 nm. Electronic noise associated with ion transport through the resultant pores is found to be comparable with levels measured on devices made...

Grain boundary (GB) segregation of impurity/solute atoms in surveillance test specimens of a commercial western-type pressurized water reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel has been observed by using state-of-the-art 3D atom probe (3DAP) field ion microscope (laser-assisted local electrode-type atom probe: laser-LEAP). The GB segregation is considered to be an origin of the embrittlement of the R...

We describe an experimental method to recover a single, deterministically fabricated nanostructure in various experimental instruments without the use of artificially fabricated markers, with the aim to study photonic structures. Therefore, a detailed map of the spatial surroundings of the nanostructure is made during the fabrication of the structure. These maps are made using a series of micro...

The development of a transmission electron microscope equipped with a field emission gun paved the way for electron holography to be put to practical use in various fields. In this paper, we review three advanced electron holography techniques: on-line real-time electron holography, three-dimensional (3D) tomographic holography and phase-shifting electron holography, which are becoming importan...