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Report on EMAG '85
Ultramicroscopy 17 (1985) 397-398 North-Holland, Amsterdam
397
REPORT ON EMAG '85
John R. F R Y E R Department of Chemistry, The Universi(v, Glasgow, Scotland, UK Received 13 November 1985
The new medical school of the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne provided the venue for E M A G '85, 2-5 September. There were over two hundred participants, 158 papers and a large exhibition. The electron microscopy and analysis (EMAG) group of the Institute of Physics is an interdisciplinary group whose conferences have reflected the latest developments in electron optics, as would be expected from its physics heritage. This meeting had a slightly different accent in that applications of electron optics were stressed in the original call for papers. It was intended that the applications and developments should represent the extremes of difficulty in the subject rather than routine work, and the 158 papers selected after refereeing achieved this object. It was noticeable that close examination of specimens was being performed on materials that a few years ago were considered beyond the capabilities of electron microscopy. There were twelve invited speakers - four from France, two from the United States and six from Britain. Radiation damage in inorganic materials was described by C. Humphries who discussed the electron beam scribing of 1 nm holes and lines in alumina. The progress in studying organic crystals was exemplified in that the majority of papers described structural results rather than radiation damage processes. D. Dorset in an invited paper, and later McConnell, showed lattice resolution in paraffins at 0.25 nm, both using the 4 K cryomicroscope in Berlin; and the critical difficulty in examining such crystals lies in the preparation of suitable specimens. Another invited speaker, J. Wittmann, illustrated epitaxial techniques that were applicable to a wide range of
organic crystals including polymers. The importance of epitaxy was also showed by D. Veseley who, with microdiffraction, demonstrated epitaxial nucleation of polymers on silicates. Processed images of organic azo-compounds at 3 ,~ resolution described by Duckett, convergent-beam studies and tilted illumination of polymers by Vincent and White, respectively, illustrated the advances in examination of these beam-sensitive materials. The greater ramifications of convergent-beam techniques were described in an enthusiastic session chaired by Dingley with emphasis on thick and strained specimens, whilst high-resolution imaging of thin specimens by Smith and Bovin showed dynamic studies, at the atomic level, of movement in gold particles. Images and image simulation of pentagonal quasicrystalline structures by Portier and Knowles were other examples of high-resolution imaging at high voltages, and the value of the current 300-400 keV microscopes available was explored in a workshop session chaired by Boyes. It was of interest that high-resolution microscopy at 100 200 keV is becoming a routine technique, and Bourret (grain boundaries), Lewis (nitride ceramics), Audier (metal carbides and carbon) and Fryer (carbon) were using this technique on technologically important materials. The importance of small particles was highlighted by a session on this subject that covered the theoretical possibilities of size and shape resolution as well as the direct application of high-resolution microscopy to catalysis. High-resolution and analytical microscopy were described in application to surface reactions by Flower and to ceramics and surface layers. This latter session ranged from nitride ceramics (Lewis),
0304-3991/85/$03.30 © Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland Physics Publishing Division)
398
J.R. Fryer / Report on EMAG '85
SiA1ON composites (Walls, Knowles), Zirconia (Heuer, Butler), Tungsten carbide (Ness) and Uranium oxides (Smith). Oral and poster sessions on carbon, boundaries and steels also dealt with applications of imaging. The other major aspect of the meeting concerned microanalysis. There was a session devoted to developments in equipment and interpretation that was opened by Goodhew discussing the use of windowless detectors for light-element analysis. The applications sessions all contained papers on microanalysis and a session on metals was solely concerned with this technique. The components in steels - as described in the invited paper by Titchmarsh - were the majority topic in the contributed papers, but many other metals, alloys and ceramics were discussed in both oral presentations and posters. The growth and interest in different spectroscopic methods led to a separate session on energy-loss spectroscopy with an invited presentation on voltage dependence by Seveley, and the five papers on Auger spectroscopy - notably from Prutton and his co-workers were presented as posters. The number of contributed papers means that poster presentations had to be used and the distribution was made on the basis of concentrating workers in similar techniques or applications in either oral or poster sessions. Thus STEM, EELS and Carbon were in oral sessions, for example, and Auger, Lens Design, Image Simulation and Crystallographic Methods were in poster sessions. This conference contained a wealth of new material, and it is a tribute to the contributors that
the applications described represented the "state of the art" of the microscopy as well as providing valuable information about the specimen. It was regrettable that insufficient time was available to obtain maximum benefit from the poster sessions, but undoubtedly this will be rectified at EMAG '87. On the social side, a useful innovation was a buffet meal with wine in the exhibition that provided the opportunity for longer discussion with exhibitors, who were the hosts. The City of Newcastle provided a reception, meal and entertainment another evening, so that with the third evening being the conference dinner, the participants had a very full four days. Subsequent to the conference there was a training school for two days in high-resolution acquisition and processing of microanalytical data. Exhibitors provided equipment and lectures, and instruction was given by delegates from universities and industry. Although only small numbers could be accommodated (twenty), it appeared successful and was valuable in that instruction and demonstration could be made on a wide range of the most modern instruments. Note. The conference proceedings should be available from January 1986 in the Institute of Physics Conference Series published by The Institute of Physics, 47 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QX, UK. John R. Fryer Technical Programme Organiser
397
REPORT ON EMAG '85
John R. F R Y E R Department of Chemistry, The Universi(v, Glasgow, Scotland, UK Received 13 November 1985
The new medical school of the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne provided the venue for E M A G '85, 2-5 September. There were over two hundred participants, 158 papers and a large exhibition. The electron microscopy and analysis (EMAG) group of the Institute of Physics is an interdisciplinary group whose conferences have reflected the latest developments in electron optics, as would be expected from its physics heritage. This meeting had a slightly different accent in that applications of electron optics were stressed in the original call for papers. It was intended that the applications and developments should represent the extremes of difficulty in the subject rather than routine work, and the 158 papers selected after refereeing achieved this object. It was noticeable that close examination of specimens was being performed on materials that a few years ago were considered beyond the capabilities of electron microscopy. There were twelve invited speakers - four from France, two from the United States and six from Britain. Radiation damage in inorganic materials was described by C. Humphries who discussed the electron beam scribing of 1 nm holes and lines in alumina. The progress in studying organic crystals was exemplified in that the majority of papers described structural results rather than radiation damage processes. D. Dorset in an invited paper, and later McConnell, showed lattice resolution in paraffins at 0.25 nm, both using the 4 K cryomicroscope in Berlin; and the critical difficulty in examining such crystals lies in the preparation of suitable specimens. Another invited speaker, J. Wittmann, illustrated epitaxial techniques that were applicable to a wide range of
organic crystals including polymers. The importance of epitaxy was also showed by D. Veseley who, with microdiffraction, demonstrated epitaxial nucleation of polymers on silicates. Processed images of organic azo-compounds at 3 ,~ resolution described by Duckett, convergent-beam studies and tilted illumination of polymers by Vincent and White, respectively, illustrated the advances in examination of these beam-sensitive materials. The greater ramifications of convergent-beam techniques were described in an enthusiastic session chaired by Dingley with emphasis on thick and strained specimens, whilst high-resolution imaging of thin specimens by Smith and Bovin showed dynamic studies, at the atomic level, of movement in gold particles. Images and image simulation of pentagonal quasicrystalline structures by Portier and Knowles were other examples of high-resolution imaging at high voltages, and the value of the current 300-400 keV microscopes available was explored in a workshop session chaired by Boyes. It was of interest that high-resolution microscopy at 100 200 keV is becoming a routine technique, and Bourret (grain boundaries), Lewis (nitride ceramics), Audier (metal carbides and carbon) and Fryer (carbon) were using this technique on technologically important materials. The importance of small particles was highlighted by a session on this subject that covered the theoretical possibilities of size and shape resolution as well as the direct application of high-resolution microscopy to catalysis. High-resolution and analytical microscopy were described in application to surface reactions by Flower and to ceramics and surface layers. This latter session ranged from nitride ceramics (Lewis),
0304-3991/85/$03.30 © Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland Physics Publishing Division)
398
J.R. Fryer / Report on EMAG '85
SiA1ON composites (Walls, Knowles), Zirconia (Heuer, Butler), Tungsten carbide (Ness) and Uranium oxides (Smith). Oral and poster sessions on carbon, boundaries and steels also dealt with applications of imaging. The other major aspect of the meeting concerned microanalysis. There was a session devoted to developments in equipment and interpretation that was opened by Goodhew discussing the use of windowless detectors for light-element analysis. The applications sessions all contained papers on microanalysis and a session on metals was solely concerned with this technique. The components in steels - as described in the invited paper by Titchmarsh - were the majority topic in the contributed papers, but many other metals, alloys and ceramics were discussed in both oral presentations and posters. The growth and interest in different spectroscopic methods led to a separate session on energy-loss spectroscopy with an invited presentation on voltage dependence by Seveley, and the five papers on Auger spectroscopy - notably from Prutton and his co-workers were presented as posters. The number of contributed papers means that poster presentations had to be used and the distribution was made on the basis of concentrating workers in similar techniques or applications in either oral or poster sessions. Thus STEM, EELS and Carbon were in oral sessions, for example, and Auger, Lens Design, Image Simulation and Crystallographic Methods were in poster sessions. This conference contained a wealth of new material, and it is a tribute to the contributors that
the applications described represented the "state of the art" of the microscopy as well as providing valuable information about the specimen. It was regrettable that insufficient time was available to obtain maximum benefit from the poster sessions, but undoubtedly this will be rectified at EMAG '87. On the social side, a useful innovation was a buffet meal with wine in the exhibition that provided the opportunity for longer discussion with exhibitors, who were the hosts. The City of Newcastle provided a reception, meal and entertainment another evening, so that with the third evening being the conference dinner, the participants had a very full four days. Subsequent to the conference there was a training school for two days in high-resolution acquisition and processing of microanalytical data. Exhibitors provided equipment and lectures, and instruction was given by delegates from universities and industry. Although only small numbers could be accommodated (twenty), it appeared successful and was valuable in that instruction and demonstration could be made on a wide range of the most modern instruments. Note. The conference proceedings should be available from January 1986 in the Institute of Physics Conference Series published by The Institute of Physics, 47 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QX, UK. John R. Fryer Technical Programme Organiser