Electron Tomography in the (S)TEM: From Nanoscale Morphological Analysis to 3D Atomic Imaging

In this short review, we discuss recent developments in electron tomography with examples across a range of materials science and nanotechnology. Challenges related to extending the resolution of the technique from the nanoscale to the atomic level are addressed, and the different routes proposed to meet those challenges are considered. We illustrate improvements in electron tomography brought about by recent developments in hardware and the advent of aberration-corrected microscopes. We focus also on developments in new reconstruction algorithms designed to enable reliable and accurate reconstructions from very limited projection data. These recent technique developments provide a genuine promise of routine 3D atomic imaging.