Development of methods and instrumentation for structure characterization below the 0.1 mm level. By combining the know?how of European Universities and Industries it is possible to construct a unique electron microscope which can reach beyond the physical limit of characterize the atomic structure and chemical composition will be used for materials where knowledge on structural deviations at an atomic scale is essential for understanding these properties.
In contrast to the brute force method in which the point resolution of electron microscopies is pushed down 1 angstrom by increasing the voltage above 1 Mev, a different route has been adopted in which the information limit is pushed down and the information is retrieved by image processing. This has been achieved by using a coherent electron source and optimizing the lens design, the detector configuration and the alignment procedure. The phase is recovered by 2 different methods: sideband holography and focus variation, whereas for the object structure retrieval, a new method has been developed to 'reverse' in a sense the dynamic scattering in the object. All hardware and software has proven to be working reliably and yeilding 1 angstrom structural information.
A fundamentally new method of phase and structure retrieval by focus variation, developed in the University of Antwerp, together with an auto alignment method developed in Delft forms the key issue. A second method-electron holography developed at the University of Tubingen can lead to the same result employing almost the same microscope.

The hardware consists of a special electron microscope designed by Phillips with an image detector designed by University of Tubingen. Also to be designed by Tietz Video and Image processing Systems GmbH is an ultra fast image processing system.

This combination of know how is unique in the world and will make the instrument by far superior to the Japanese competition.