Effective phase correction function for high-resolution exit wave reconstruction by a three-dimensional Fourier filtering method

The phase correction function used in the three-dimensional Fourier filtering method (3D-FFM) for compensating lens aberrations was investigated to reconstruct a high-resolution exit wave of a sample. An appropriate function, which hardly suffered from imperfect illumination conditions, was determined by comparing two types of phase correction functions with numerical calculations and experiments using through-focus images of an amorphous thin film and a [110]-oriented Si single crystal taken under tilted illumination or partially coherent illumination. Theoretical calculations indicated that a function in terms of w (an axial Fourier component), available uniquely in the 3D Fourier space, compensated for the phase shift due to the spherical aberration more precisely than did a conventional function in terms of g (the two-dimensional (2D) planar Fourier components). Experimentally, exit waves reconstructed using the w-function showed sample structures at approximately 20% higher resolution than those reconstructed using the g-function. Image contrast simulations proved that the w-function had a significant advantage over the g-function: the former canceled out the effect of illumination divergence, resulting in a high-resolution exit wave. These results demonstrated that exit waves, which are uniquely realized in the 3D-FFM, should be reconstructed using the w-type phase correction function.     

Comments on "Observation of the surface stress induced in microcantilevers by electrochemical redox processes" by F. Tian, J.H. Pei, D.L. Hedden, G.M. Brown, T. Thundat

Critical remarks have been formulated in connection with the surface stress measurements reported by Tian et al. It has been shown that due to the shortcomings of the experimental procedure some conclusions of the authors are hardly acceptable.     

Autoregressive Wiener filtering in a scanning electron microscopy imaging system

In this paper, we propose to use the autoregressive (AR)-based interpolator with Wiener filter and apply the idea to scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The concept for combining the AR-based interpolator with Wiener filtering comes from the essential requirement of Wiener filtering for accurate and consistent estimation of the power of the noise in images prior to filter implementation. The resultant filter is called AR-Wiener filter. The proposed filter is embedded onto the frame grabber card of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for real-time image processing. Different images are captured using SEM and used to compare the performances of the conventional Wiener and the proposed AR-Wiener technique.     

A fast method to study the secretory activity of neuroendocrine cells at the ultrastructural level

Cryo field emission scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FE-SEM) is a versatile technique that allows the investigation of the three-dimensional organization of cells at the ultrastructural level over a wide range of magnifications. Unfortunately, cryopreparation of the specimens for this technique remains cumbersome, in particular because ice crystal formation must be prevented during freezing. Here we report that a light prefixation with glutaraldehyde and incubation in glycerol as cryoprotectant or a high-pressure freezing approach are both excellent procedures for cryopreparation of animal cells to be used in combination with cryo-FE-SEM. Using the proopiomelanocortin-producing intermediate pituitary melanotrope cells of Xenopus laevis as a physiologically inducible neuroendocrine system, we compared the ultrastructural characteristics of inactive and hyperactive neuroendocrine cells. The overall quality of the ultrastructural images was comparable for the two cryopreparation procedures, although some fine structures were better conserved using high-pressure freezing. Melanotrope cells in a secretory inactive state contained numerous storage granules and a poorly developed endoplasmic reticulum (ER), while large amounts of rough ER were present in hyperactive cells. Thus, the cryo-FE-SEM approach described here allows a fast ultrastructural study on the secretory activity of neuroendocrine cells.     

Measurement of residual stress in thick section composite laminates using the deep-hole method

The deep-hole method is a method of measuring residual stress in large metallic components. In this paper, an extension to the deep-hole method is described to allow the residual stresses in thick section composite laminated plates to be evaluated. The method involves first drilling a small hole through the laminate perpendicular to the surface. The material around the hole is then machined away, resulting in a change in diameter of the hole due to the release of residual stress. This change in diameter is measured and used to calculate the residual stress. The calculation requires the evaluation of coefficients that depend on the properties of the composite. In this work, the finite element method is used to evaluate these coefficients. Using this method, the residual stresses in a 22 mm thick carbon/epoxy composite plate are measured and reported.     

X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis of the chemical environment of zinc in the tribological film formed by zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate decomposition on steel

Calculation of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) has been used to investigate the chemical nature of zinc in thermal films formed on the surfaces of steel coupons by the additive zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) in oil solution. Carbon K, oxygen K, and zinc L edge XANES spectra were used to characterize the thermal films and a model film formed by addition of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) to the ZDDP. Thermal films formed by heating at up to 100 °C for 5 h showed little change from unreacted ZDDP. At 160 °C for 5 h, the ZDDP underwent thermal solution decomposition with similarities to the oxidation induced by CHP. The Zn L edge XANES spectra were compared to calculated spectra of the model surface species ZnO and ZnS in the wurtzite structure and ZnS in the zinc blende structure. Agreement between experiment and simulation is found for the 160 °C thermal film with a roughly two monolayer film of ZnO and for oxidation by CHP with a three to four monolayer film of ZnS.     

Tribological properties of spark-plasma-sintered ZrO2(Y2O3)-CaF2-Ag composites at elevated temperatures

Spark-plasma sintering is employed to synthesize self-lubricating ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites with different additives of CaF₂ and Ag as solid lubricants by tailoring the composition and by adjusting the sintering temperature. The friction and wear behavior of ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites have been investigated in dry sliding against an alumina ball from room temperature to 800 °C. The effective self-lubrication at different temperatures depends mainly on the content of various solid lubricants in the composites. The addition of 35 wt.% Ag and 30 wt.% CaF₂ in the ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix can promote the formation of a well-covered lubricating film, and effectively reduce the friction and wear over the entire temperature range studied. The friction coefficients at low temperatures were at a minimum value for the composite containing 35 wt.% of silver. At this silver concentration, low and intermediate temperature lubricating properties are greatly improved without affecting high-temperature lubrication by the calcium fluoride in ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites. The worn surfaces and transfer films formed during wear process have been characterized to identify the synergistic lubrication behavior of CaF₂ and Ag lubricants at different temperatures.     

Cu-Zn-Al合金马氏体稳定化与母相有序态SCIEI

采用X射线衍射和内耗测量研究了Cu-Zn-Al合金不同热处理条件对马氏体相变和母相有序态的影响。研究表明,“淬火-时效”试样从室温加热到320℃马氏体完全消失为止始终未发生逆相变。分级淬火短期等温试样出现B2?9R和DO_3?18R两种马氏体相变共存。随着等温时间的增长,B2?9R相变消失,与此同时DO_3?18R相变增强。然而,淬火后立即上淬到100—150℃等温的试样只出现B2?9R相变,即使等温时间增长也能继续保持。显然,从高温快冷不能抑制A2?B2有序,却可以抑制B2?DO_3有序。虽然分级和上淬处理时母相所处的湿度相同,但其有序态却各异,足够的空位浓度是发生B2?DO_3有序转变的必要条件。文中讨论了Cu-Zn-Al合金马氏体稳定化的可能机制。     

用径迹显微照相技术测定Mo对硼在Ni中扩散的影响

本文建立了通过脱硼处理用径迹显微照相技术测量硼在合金中扩散系数的新方法。该法灵敏度高,简捷可靠。实验发现,Ni中加入0.5％Mo对硼的扩散影响不大;而加入3％Mo则有使硼的矿散激活能降低,频率因子减小,在900—1250℃的温度范围内有加快硼扩散的作用。