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Cabral et al. Microstructures 2023;3:2023040 Microstructures
DOI: 10.20517/microstructures.2023.39

Perspective Open Access

Scanning transmission electron microscopy for

advanced characterization of ferroic materials

Matthew J. Cabral 1,3 , Zibin Chen 2 , Xiaozhou Liao 3
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
2
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, Hong Kong, China.
3
School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Correspondence to: Dr. Matthew J. Cabral, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 2 East Alumni Ave
Room 084, Kingston, RI 02881, USA. E-mail: matthew.cabral@uri.edu
How to cite this article: Cabral MJ, Chen Z, Liao X. Scanning transmission electron microscopy for advanced characterization of
ferroic materials. Microstructures 2023;3:2023040. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/microstructures.2023.39

Received: 7 Aug 2023 First Decision: 23 Aug 2023 Revised: 29 Aug 2023 Accepted: 4 Sep 2023 Published: 16 Oct 2023
Academic Editor: Lin Gu Copy Editor: Fangling Lan Production Editor: Fangling Lan

Abstract
Scanning Transmission electron microscopy (STEM) technologies have undergone significant advancements in the
last two decades. Advancements in aberration-correction technology, ultra-high energy resolution
monochromators, and state-of-the-art detectors/cameras have established STEM as an essential tool for
investigating material chemistry and structure from the micro to the atomic scale. This characterization technique
has been invaluable for understanding and characterizing the origins of ferroic material properties in next-
generation advanced materials. Many unique properties of engineering materials, such as ferroelectricity,
piezoelectricity, and ferromagnetism, are intricately linked to their atomic-scale composition and structure. STEM
enables direct observation of these structural characteristics, establishing a link with macroscopic properties. In
this perspective, we provide an overview of the application of advanced STEM techniques in investigating the origin
of ferroic material properties, along with discussions on potential opportunities for further utilization of STEM
techniques.

Keywords: Scanning transmission electron microscopy, materials characterization, ferroic materials, aberration-
correction, image analysis, atomic resolution imaging

© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

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