8 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2024 SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF NANOMATERIAL PROPERTIES Scientists at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) developed a hybrid nano-microscope capable of simultaneously measuring various nanomaterial properties. The new microscope combines the functions of atomic force microscopy, photo-induced force microscopy, and electrostatic force microscopy. This nano-microscope is essential for researching the properties of nanocomposite materials and is also suitable for commercialization. Instead of using lenses, it employs a fine functional probe to tap the sample, allowing simultaneous measurement of the optical and electrical properties as well as the shape of nanomaterials with a single scan. TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION RECORD BREAKING RESOLUTION Using electron ptychography on conventional transmission electron microscopes, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign achieved record-breaking resolution. This breaks the trend of increasing microscope prices with increasing resolution. They were able to achieve deep sub-angstrom spatial resolution down to 0.44 angstrom, which exceeds the resolution of aberration-corrected tools and rivals their highest ptychographic resolutions. Rather than using a stack of lens optics to remove aberrations, ptycho- graphy removes them computationally. With a new generation of detectors, called hybrid pixel detectors, that cost a few hundred thousand dollars (compared to aberration-corrected microscopes that cost up to $7 million) and computer algorithms, this method can double, triple, or even quadruple the resolution of what a microscope can achieve with its physical lenses. The team demonstrated that their approach quadruples the resolution of conventional transmission electron microscopes. Further, nearly any STEM can now be adapted to achieve state-of-the-art resolution at a fraction of the cost. “This is significant for the hundreds of institutions across the country and across the world who previously couldn’t afford the cutting edge. Now, all they need is a detector, some computers, and electron ptychography. And once you do that, you can see the atomic world with much more detail than anyone imagined even 10 years ago,” says team leader Pinshane Huang. grainger. illinois.edu. Triangular holes make this material more likely to crack from left to right. Courtesy of N.R. Brodnik et al./Phys. Rev. Lett. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa., appointed Andrew G. Kireta, Jr., as the organization’s new president, effective May 1. He will succeed Katharine Morgan, who served in the role since 2017 during her 40-year career at ASTM. Kireta was most recently president and CEO of the Copper Development Association. astm.org. Allied High Tech Products Inc. moved its corporate headquarters to 16207 Carmenita Rd. in Cerritos, Calif. The 40-yearold company supplies products for metallographic sample preparation and analysis along with technical assistance. alliedhightech.com. BRIEFS Photo of the new hybrid nano-microscope. Courtesy of KRISS. A comparison of experimental annular dark field (ADF)-scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron ptychography in uncorrected and aberration-corrected electron microscopes. Courtesy of The Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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