Elisa Guerrero

Multiple comparison procedures applied to model selection

This paper presents a new approach to model selection based on hypothesis testing. We 4rst describe a procedure to generate di5erent scores for any candidate model from a single sample of training data and then discuss how to apply multiple comparison procedures (MCP) to model selection. MCP statistical tests allow us to compare three or more groups of data while controlling the probability of making at least one Type I error. The complete procedure is illustrated on several model selection tasks, including the determination of the number of hidden units for feed-forward neural networks and the number of kernels for RBF networks. c 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images of large nanostructures

High angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) is a powerful tool to quantify size, shape, position, and composition of nano-objects with the assessment of image simulation. Due to the high computational requirements needed, nowadays it can only be applied to a few unit cells in standard computers. To overpass this limitation, a parallel software (SICSTEM) has been developed. This software can afford HAADF-STEM image simulations of nanostructures composed of several hundred thousand atoms in manageable time. The usefulness of this tool is exemplified by simulating a HAADF-STEM image of an InAs nanowire.

Distribution of bismuth atoms in epitaxial GaAsBi

The distribution of Bi atoms in epitaxial GaAs(1−x)Bix is analyzed through aberration-corrected Z-contrast images. The relation between the atomic number and the intensity of the images allows quantifying the distribution of Bi atoms in this material. A bidimensional map of Bi atoms is extracted showing areas where nanoclustering is possible and evidencing the location of Bi at As-substitutional positions in the lattice. The distribution of Bi atoms differs from a random spatial pattern of Bi atoms in the material.

Accuracy assessment of strain mapping from Z-contrast images of strained nanostructures

Geometric phase and peak pairs strain mapping techniques have been applied to high angular annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) simulated images of an InAs/InP strained nanowire at different sample thicknesses. Strain values determined from HAADF-STEM images have been compared to theoretical values obtained by solving the elastic theory equation by finite element analysis, in order to analyze and assess both techniques in terms of accuracy of the predictions.

Error Quantification in Strain Mapping Methods

In this article a method for determining errors of the strain values when applying strain mapping techniques has been devised. This methodology starts with the generation of a thickness/defocus series of simulated high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of InAsxP1-x/InP heterostructures and the application of geometric phase. To obtain optimal defocusing conditions, a comparison of different defocus values is carried out by the calculation of the strain profile standard deviations among different specimen thicknesses. Finally, based on the analogy of real state strain to a step response, a characterization of strain mapping error near an interface is proposed.

Photoluminescence Enhancement of InAs(Bi) Quantum Dots by Bi Clustering

The distribution of bismuth in InAs1-xBix/GaAs quantum dots is analyzed by atomic-column resolution electron microscopy and imaging simulation techniques. A random Bi distribution is measured in the case of <0.03 ML/s Bi flux during the InAs growth with no significant variations in the shape or size of quantum dots, resulting in a low redshift and the degradation of the photoluminescence. However, for a 0.06 ML/s Bi flux the lateral indium segregation into the quantum dots is enhanced and Bi is incorporated inside them. As a result, a strong redshift and an increase of the peak intensity are found in this sample.

High resolution electron microscopy of GaAs capped GaSb nanostructures

We show in this work that GaAs capping of 2 ML of GaSb grown by molecular beam epitaxy results in the formation of very small (with heights of about 1 nm) GaAsxSb1−x nanostructures surrounded by a GaAs rich layer. This conclusion is obtained by analyzing the morphology of the GaAsxSb1−x nanostructures by high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy in Z-contrast mode. This result shows that a significant fraction of the Sb atoms must segregate along the growth direction during the GaAs capping process.

Strain mapping accuracy improvement using super-resolution techniques

Super‐resolution (SR) software‐based techniques aim at generating a final image by combining several noisy frames with lower resolution from the same scene. A comparative study on high‐resolution high‐angle annular dark field images of InAs/GaAs QDs has been carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the SR technique. The obtained SR images present enhanced resolution and higher signal‐to‐noise (SNR) ratio and sharpness regarding the experimental images. In addition, SR is also applied in the field of strain analysis using digital image processing applications such as geometrical phase analysis and peak pairs analysis. The precision of the strain mappings can be improved when SR methodologies are applied to experimental images.

Strain mapping from HRTEM images

Strain mapping is defined as a numerical image processing technique that measures the local shifts of image details around a crystal defect with respect to the ideal, defect-free, positions in the bulk. The most common algorithms for strain mapping are based on peak finding (real space) and geometric phase (Fourier space) methods. In this paper, we discuss both algorithms and propose an alternative algorithm (Peak Pairs) based on the detection of pairs of intensity maxima in the affine transformed space which exhibits good behavior at dislocations. Quantitative results are reported from experiments to determine local stresses in different types of quantum heterostructures.

Evaluation of high-quality image reconstruction techniques applied to high-resolution Z-contrast imaging

High-quality image reconstruction techniques allow the generation of high pixel density images from a set of low-resolution micrographs. In general, these techniques consist of two main steps, namely, accurate registration, and formulation of an appropriate forward image model via some restoration method. There exist a wide variety of algorithms to cope with both stages and depending on their practical applications, some methods can outperform others, since they can be sensitive to the assumed data model, noise, drift, etc. When dealing with images generated by Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopes, a current trend is based on non-rigid approximations in the registration stage. In our work we aimed at reaching similar accuracy but addressing the most complex calculations in the reconstruction stage, instead of in the registration stage (as the non-rigid approaches do), but using a much smaller number of images. We review some of the most significant methods and address their shortcomings when they are applied to the field of microscopy. Simulated images with known targets will be used to evaluate and compare the main approaches in terms of quality enhancement and computing time. In addition, a procedure to determine the reference image will be proposed to minimise the global drift on the series. The best registration and restoration strategies will be applied to experimental images in order to point up the enhanced capability of this high quality image reconstruction methodology in this field.