EXPERIMENTAL HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF POLYMERS

High-resolution imaging of ordered polymers is described both theoretically and experimentally. The relationship between the actual three-dimensional specimen structure and the resultant two-dimensional image intensity distribution is developed using the multislice formalism. The influence of the electron optical conditions on the image is demonstrated with experimental data, as well as with image simulations. Practical details of specimen preparation, as well as the effects of specimen structural defects on the image, are presented. A significant challenge for polymer microscopists is to minimize the deleterious effects of electron beam damage and to identify image artifacts resulting from damage. Future applications of ultrahigh-resolution capabilities are illustrated with respect to direct imaging of the anisotropic potentials present in covalently bonded materials.