Introduction: Materials Research in an Aberration-Free Environment

The last decade has witnessed a revolution in electron microscopy as online correction of spherical aberration has become a reality in both fixed-beam and scanning instruments. The combination of improved resolution and higher beam currents coupled with the prospect of simpler image interpretation has stimulated great interest and excitement across the entire field of microscopy. The Microscopy Society of America has an active Focused Interest Group on the topic of “Materials Research in an Aberration-Free Environment,” and its goal is to provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of the latest advances in instrumentation and novel applications of aberration-corrected electron microscopy. This special issue of Microscopy and Microanalysis contains contributions from the Pre-Meeting Congress on this topic held in Chicago, Illinois, in late July 2006, immediately preceding Microscopy & Microanalysis 2006.