We noted in January the discovery of a Volta phase plate, useful for enhancing phase contrast in TEM. That plate used amorphous carbon to support a phase-shifting charge accumulation.
This month, a group in Karlsruhe reports on the advantages of using a zirconium/aluminum/copper alloy for inducing phase contrast. This alloy forms a metallic glass, having the advantage that electron channeling and diffraction do not occur. The material appears to be stable enough over the short term for use in phase plates.
Reference: M Dries, et al., “Thin-film based phase plates for transmission electron microscopy fabricated from metallic glasses”, arXiv:1510.03587.