DiffTools: Electron diffraction software tools for DigitalMicrograph™

Abstract

A suite of software tools (DiffTools) has been developed for DigitalMicrograph--a software platform widely used in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) laboratories world-wide. These tools include capabilities for calibration, center determination, rotational averaging with automatic peak location, pattern spot spacing and interspot angle determination, rotation and inset of a pattern into an image, pattern intensity inversion and enhancement, and calculation of basic crystallographic data. The implementation and application of these tools to experimental diffraction patterns is illustrated and measurement of d-spacings with an accuracy of 0.63% or better is demonstrated. These tools, which are freely available via the Internet, enable users to rapidly and efficiently process selected area electron diffraction patterns. This can be performed entirely within the DigitalMicrograph environment using familiar menu-based commands and user-friendly dialog-based scripts.

Ion-association complexes unite classical and non-classical theories for the biomimetic nucleation of calcium phosphate

“…Radial averaging of the diffraction pattern using DiffTools 46 in Digitial MicrographTM software (version 3.10.0, Gatan) and the Radial Profile Angle plug-in in ImageJTM software (version 1.42q, NIH, USA). A 1/q background correction was performed to diminish the contribution of the zero-loss beam.…”

Nanoscale Iron Nitride, ε-Fe3N: Preparation from Liquid Ammonia and Magnetic Properties

“…26 The JEMS software 27 was used to simulate powder diffraction pattern and high resolution phase contrast thickness-defocus maps using 200 keV electrons for Fe 3 N (ICSD No. 33576).…”

Crystallographic Tool Box(CrysTBox): automated tools for transmission electron microscopists and crystallographers

“…There are a number of programs and scripts for the analysis of the spot diffraction (Mitchell, 2008b;Li, 2014;Wu et al, 2012;Stadelmann, 2004;Reid et al, 2011;Belletti et al, 2000;Lá bá r, 2005) and ring diffraction patterns (Mitchell, 2008a;Zhang et al, 2011;Li, 2007;Reid et al, 2011). Most of the software, however, requires a non-negligable amount of user intervention.…”

“…Localization of the ring centres is done via a Hough transform, which may be memory and computationally intensive in fully automatic mode. The same author presents a tool for analysis of spot diffraction patterns (Mitchell, 2008b) employing a circular average centred on one of the diffraction spots. This is a very fast and elegant approach, which reduces the number of spots localized by the user to one.…”