Nanoanalytical characterization of Pr_0.5Tb_0.5O_x obtained from in situ video observation in the high resolution electron microscope

This paper illustrates the capability, with the high resolution electron microscope and associated techniques, of characterizing a material with lateral resolution near the atomic level, temporal resolution at 1/30 s, and chemical analysis of volumes no more than 2 nm wide perpendicular to the electron beam. Pr_0.5Tb_0.5(OH)CO₃, in the form of an amorphous colloidal sphere, is transformed through (Pr_0.5Tb_0.5O)₂CO₃ to the oxide, Pr_0.5Tb_0.5O_x. Chemical analysis through the various stages of decomposition establishes essentially random dispersal of the rare earths. Structural analysis of video frames at time intervals of a few 1/30 s permit progressive characterization of the material as it changes. This is relevant to the promulgation of mechanisms of solid state reactions at the atomic level.