On the limitation of quantitative measurements using transmission electron microscopy

This work discussed the limitation of (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (TEM/STEM) techniques in quantitative measurements in electron-beam-sensitive silicate glasses and glass ceramics. Electron beam induced damages in the silicate glasses containing Na and the glass ceramics containing fluorite nanocrystals were demonstrated. The damages were mainly caused by preferentially removing Na and decomposing CaF2 into Ca. All the damage phenomena were observed under electron beam intensities, which were much weaker than the intensities used in the conventional high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and microanalysis in STEM. Therefore, although the advanced TEM/STEM techniques are very promising in the precise measurement of local composition at ultra-high spatial resolution in some materials, they may not be applicable to Na-containing silicate glasses and glass ceramics containing fluorite nanocrystals.