Vacuum Evaporation of Metals for Shadow Casting

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.

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Quality films from carbon fiber evaporation for thorough coverage of TEM grids

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100104157 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 418-419

Author(s):

N. Tempel ◽

M. C. Ledbetter

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽

Carbon Films ◽

Low Noise ◽

Vacuum Evaporation ◽

High Yield ◽

Good Adhesion ◽

Noise Structure ◽

Resolution Electron ◽

Carbon Foils

Carbon films have been a support of choice for high resolution electron microscopy since the introduction of vacuum evaporation of carbon. The desirable qualities of carbon films and methods of producing them has been extensively reviewed. It is difficult to get a high yield of grids by many of these methods, especially if virtually all of the windows must be covered with a tightly bonded, quality film of predictable thickness. We report here a method for producing carbon foils designed to maximize these attributes: 1) coverage of virtually all grid windows, 2) freedom from holes, wrinkles or folds, 3) good adhesion between film and grid, 4) uniformity of film and low noise structure, 5) predictability of film thickness, and 6) reproducibility.Our method utilizes vacuum evaporation of carbon from a fiber onto celloidin film and grid bars, adhesion of the film complex to the grid by carbon-carbon contact, and removal of the celloidin by acetone dissolution. Materials must be of high purity, and cleanliness must be rigorously maintained.

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“Preparation of Single Crystalline Gold Films for ED Studies”

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100096424 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 634-635

Author(s):

Joseph D. C. Peng

Keyword(s):

Crystal Morphology ◽

Diffraction Theory ◽

Scattering Matrix ◽

Vacuum Evaporation ◽

Gold Films ◽

Matrix Formulation ◽

Silver Films ◽

Single Crystalline ◽

Grating Pattern ◽

Stacking Disorder

The relative intensities of the ED spots in a cross-grating pattern can be calculated using N-beam electron diffraction theory. The scattering matrix formulation of N-beam ED theory has been previously applied to imperfect microcrystals of gold containing stacking disorder (coherent twinning) in the (111) crystal plane. In the present experiment an effort has been made to grow single-crystalline, defect-free (111) gold films of a uniform and accurately know thickness using vacuum evaporation techniques. These represent stringent conditions to be met experimentally; however, if a meaningful comparison is to be made between theory and experiment, these factors must be carefully controlled. It is well-known that crystal morphology, perfection, and orientation each have pronounced effects on relative intensities in single crystals.The double evaporation method first suggested by Pashley was employed with some modifications. Oriented silver films of a thickness of about 1500Å were first grown by vacuum evaporation on freshly cleaved mica, with the substrate temperature at 285° C during evaporation with the deposition rate at 500-800Å/sec.

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