Higashimatsuyama, Saitama, Japan (Feb. 27, 2026):
HREM Research Inc. has announced the release of QED v2.0 with the ALCHEMI mode. The ALCHEMI mode enables dopant analysis from a nm-order area, which has never been possible before.
ALCHEMI (Atom Location by Channeling Enhanced Microanalysis) is a useful technique for studying substitutional atoms (dopants) in crystals. However, the analysis region has been limited to submicron, because the irradiated area is shifted by large tilts of the incident beam. On the other hand, QED (Quantitative Electron Diffraction) plug-in for DigitalMicrograph (DM) acquires diffraction patterns from a nm-order area by tilting a narrow electron beam.
Therefore, we developed a QED-based ALCHEMI mode, where a DM script is executed to acquire a spectrum for each beam direction instead of taking a diffraction pattern using a camera. Thus, the ALCHEMI mode of QED makes possible to analyze dopant distribution at a nanometer scale. In addition, the QED_Class has been added to open the beam tilt capability of the QED. Using this class, the beam can be easily tilted from a DM script compensating the illumination aberrations.
“ALCHEMI is a unique method to analyze the distribution of substitutional element in a host crystal, although its spatial resolution has been limited.” says Kazuo Ishizuka, President of HREM Research Inc. “Now, dopant analysis at a nm-order area becomes possible using the ALCHEMI mode of QED.”
About HREM Research Inc.
Founded in 2001, HREM Research Inc. specializes in developing products and services for Quantitative Electron Microscopy. The company’s flagship product is xHREM, HR-(S)TEM image simulation suite, developed by the founder, Kazuo Ishizuka. Currently, HREM Research Inc. is actively working on making useful techniques to be available for the HREM community.
For more information, please visit https://www.hremresearch.com or contact support@hremresearch.com.
Contact:
Kazuo Ishizuka
HREM Research Inc.
14-48 Matsukazedai, Higashimatsuyama
355-0055 JAPAN
Supplementary materials
ALCHEMI mode tab. “Acquire ALCHEMI Stack” initiates the beam tilt loop and acquires a spectrum for each tilt direction using a registered user script.