Prospects of three-dimensional microstructural analysis using discrete tomography

In electron tomography, three-dimensional datasets are reconstructed with various reconstruction algorithms. The accuracy and requirements on the projection geometry depend on kind of algorithms used for reconstruction. In this report, we discuss the comparison between the filtered back-projection (FBP) technique, most commonly used algorithm, and recently developed algorithm such as discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART). A hexagonally packed cylindrical structure was used as a model for such comparison. DART successfully reproduced the model even at the geometry where the model was poorly reconstructed by FBP. The influence of the maximum tilt angle to the quality of reconstructed image was also investigated. Reasonable quality of reconstruction has been obtained in a limited angular range by DART, while FBP generate only qualitative images.