transmission electron microscope image, TEM image

An image formed by electrons transmitted through a specimen (transmitted electrons). The TEM image is classified into two kinds: The bright-field image and the dark-field image used for tissue observation at low-to-medium magnifications, and the structure image for atomic-scale structure observation at high magnifications. These images are produced by elastically scattered electrons. As a specimen is thicker (～10 nm or thicker), inelastically scattered electrons are superposed on elastically scattered electrons, thus obscuring these images. When inelastically scattered electrons are removed with an energy filter, a clear image is obtained.

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