Diffracted beam interferometry - Differential phase contrast image of an amorphous thin film material

Differential phase contrast based on diffracted beam interferometry is used to explain the good phase contrast found of an amorphous thin film material deposited on the surface of a gold (Au) crystal substrate. An electron biprism is used to interfere two symmetrically diffracted beams generated by the Au crystal substrate that carried the phase of the amorphous material specimen. Bragg diffraction from the Au crystal substrate is used to explain why the phase of the amorphous thin film material is so well phase imaged. The phase of the amorphous material that was deposited on the specimen's upper surface of the Au crystal substrate is canceled and thus not revealed in the phase image whereas the phase due to the amorphous material deposited on the bottom surface of the Au crystal substrate does not cancel due to having a lateral phase shift in the amorphous material specimen plane proportional to the substrate thickness and Bragg angle of the diffracted beams. The lateral phase shift enabled differential phase contrast of the amorphous material specimen.

Automated summary

This article introduces the application of differential phase contrast based on diffracted beam interferometry in phase contrast imaging of amorphous thin film materials. By utilizing the Bragg diffraction effect of the Au crystal substrate and the different positions of the amorphous material on the substrate, differential phase contrast imaging of the amorphous material specimen is achieved.