Atomic Resolution Imaging at an Ultralow Accelerating Voltage by a Monochromatic Transmission Electron Microscope

Transmission electron microscopy using low-energy electrons would be very useful for atomic resolution imaging of specimens that would be damaged at higher energies. However, the resolution at low voltages is degraded because of geometrical and chromatic aberrations. In the present study, we diminish the effect of these aberrations by using a delta-type corrector and a monochromator. The dominant residual aberration in a delta-type corrector, which is the sixth-order three-lobe aberration, is counterbalanced by other threefold aberrations. Defocus spread caused by chromatic aberration is reduced by using a monochromated beam with an energy spread of 0.05 eV. We obtain images of graphene and demonstrate atomic resolution at an ultralow accelerating voltage of 15 kV.