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The quantitative measurement of a crystal bending effect is performed using low-order zone-axis convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns. Although the accuracy of the present method is inferior to that of the method of using split higher order Laue zone lines, this method enables us to estimate the crystal bending effect at a region very close to the interface and to easily judge whether the crystal bending effect results in a tensile bend or a compressive bend. As an application of the present method, the crystal bending effect at a region close to the SiGe/Si interface was measured. It was found that the crystal bending effect is due to a thin-foil relaxation of almost 0.3 degrees at a region that is approximately 10 nm away from the interface.

Artificial bright spots, which appear in some atomic resolution high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscope (HAADF STEM) images, have been accounted for by simulations based on Bloch wave description. This is illustrated with Si and SrTiO 3 images. The simulation reveals that bright spots on no-atomic columns in [011]-orientated Si images are produced by thermal diffuse scattering from Si atoms on their surrounding atomic columns, which are under the subsidiary peaks in the incident convergent electron probe. Similarly, bright spots on oxygen columns in [001]-orientated SrTiO 3 images are ascribed to Sr and Ti atoms in their surrounding atomic columns rather than O atoms in the O columns. The probe function, therefore, provides a simple explanation for the appearance of these artificial spots.

An exact scheme for dynamical HOLZ calculations has been developed with a matrix formula based on the modified Bethe's theory and current flow without the small angle approximation. The HOLZ intensity must be calculated with the current flow for electron beams. For a quantitative intensity calculation at large illumination, not only the current flow in diffracted beams from an exit surface but also the current flow in a primary beam plays an important role.