A Streamlined Technique for Preparation of Transverse Specimens for Transmission Electron Microscopy

1990 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Shaapur ◽  
M. Park
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Preparation Method ◽  
Sample Preparation Method ◽  
Batch Mode ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Structural Support ◽  
Disc Cutting ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Prepared Composite

ABSTRACTA procedure for batch processing of up to four specimens for cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) has been developed. The technique is essentially an extension of the standard multi-slice composite full disc sample preparation method. However, disc cutting and dimple grinding steps have been eliminated. The trimming, gluing, stacking, and sectioning of the wafers from the original sample material to produce composite transverse sections are identical to those of the standard scheme. Grinding and polishing of the sections are carried out in a batch mode which, in turn, reduces the overall processing time per specimen. The prepared composite foils are mounted on metallic disc grids which provide structural support during ion thinning and microscopy.

scholarly journals Towards Cellular Ultrastructural Characterization in Organ-on-a-Chip by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Applied Nano ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-302
Author(s):  
Adrianna Glinkowska Mares ◽  
Natalia Feiner-Gracia ◽  
Yolanda Muela ◽  
Gema Martínez ◽  
Lidia Delgado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Sample Preparation ◽  
Preparation Method ◽  
Sample Preparation Method ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Ultrastructural Characterization ◽  
Organ On A Chip

Organ-on-a-chip technology is a 3D cell culture breakthrough of the last decade. This rapidly developing field of bioengineering intertwined with microfluidics provides new insights into disease development and preclinical drug screening. So far, optical and fluorescence microscopy are the most widely used methods to monitor and extract information from these models. Meanwhile transmission electron microscopy (TEM), despite its wide use for the characterization of nanomaterials and biological samples, remains unexplored in this area. In our work we propose a TEM sample preparation method, that allows to process a microfluidic chip without its prior deconstruction, into TEM-compatible specimens. We demonstrated preparation of tumor blood vessel-on-a-chip model and consecutive steps to preserve the endothelial cells lining microfluidic channel, for the chip’s further transformation into ultrathin sections. This approach allowed us to obtain cross-sections of the microchannel with cells cultured inside, and to observe cell adaptation to the channel geometry, as well as the characteristic for endothelial cells tight junctions. The proposed sample preparation method facilitates the electron microscopy ultrastructural characterization of biological samples cultured in organ-on-a-chip device.

Direct Observation of Heat Exchanger Deposits by Cross Sectioning

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 364-365
Author(s):  
R. W. Anderson ◽  
D. L. Senecal
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Preparation Method ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Flowing Water ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Deposit Layer

A problem was presented to observe the packing densities of deposits of sub-micron corrosion product particles. The deposits were 5-100 mils thick and had formed on the inside surfaces of 3/8 inch diameter Zircaloy-2 heat exchanger tubes. The particles were iron oxides deposited from flowing water and consequently were only weakly bonded. Particular care was required during handling to preserve the original formations of the deposits. The specimen preparation method described below allowed direct observation of cross sections of the deposit layers by transmission electron microscopy.The specimens were short sections of the tubes (about 3 inches long) that were carefully cut from the systems. The insides of the tube sections were first coated with a thin layer of a fluid epoxy resin by dipping. This coating served to impregnate the deposit layer as well as to protect the layer if subsequent handling were required.

Microstructure of laser-irradiated, conducting Kapton polyimide

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 502-503
Author(s):  
D. L. Callahan ◽  
Z. Ball ◽  
H. M. Phillips ◽  
R. Sauerbrey
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Phase Transition ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Film Surface ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
General Utility ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
Potential Applications

Ultraviolet laser-irradiation can be used to induce an insulator-to-conductor phase transition on the surface of Kapton polyimide. Such structures have potential applications as resistors or conductors for VLSI applications as well as general utility electrodes. Although the percolative nature of the phase transformation has been well-established, there has been little definitive work on the mechanism or extent of transformation. In particular, there has been considerable debate about whether or not the transition is primarily photothermal in nature, as we propose, or photochemical. In this study, cross-sectional optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are utilized to characterize the nature of microstructural changes associated with the laser-induced pyrolysis of polyimide.Laser-modified polyimide samples initially 12 μm thick were prepared in cross-section by standard ultramicrotomy. Resulting contraction in parallel to the film surface has led to distortions in apparent magnification. The scale bars shown are calibrated for the direction normal to the film surface only.

Ion thinning of integrated circuit transverse specimens for transmission electron microscopy

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1426-1427
Author(s):  
F. Shaapur
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Homogeneous Material ◽  
Material System ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Motion Profile

Non-uniform ion-thinning of heterogenous material structures has constituted a fundamental difficulty in preparation of specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A variety of corrective procedures have been developed and reported for reducing or eliminating the effect. Some of these techniques are applicable to any non-homogeneous material system and others only to unidirectionalfy heterogeneous samples. Recently, a procedure of the latter type has been developed which is mainly based on a new motion profile for the specimen rotation during ion-milling. This motion profile consists of reversing partial revolutions (RPR) within a fixed sector which is centered around a direction perpendicular to the specimen heterogeneity axis. The ion-milling results obtained through this technique, as studied on a number of thin film cross-sectional TEM (XTEM) specimens, have proved to be superior to those produced via other procedures.XTEM specimens from integrated circuit (IC) devices essentially form a complex unidirectional nonhomogeneous structure. The presence of a variety of mostly lateral features at different levels along the substrate surface (consisting of conductors, semiconductors, and insulators) generally cause non-uniform results if ion-thinned conventionally.

TEM Sample Preparation Tricks for Advanced DRAMs

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching Shan Sung ◽  
Hsiu Ting Lee ◽  
Jian Shing Luo
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Sample Preparation ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Characterization Of Materials

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) plays an important role in the structural analysis and characterization of materials for process evaluation and failure analysis in the integrated circuit (IC) industry as device shrinkage continues. It is well known that a high quality TEM sample is one of the keys which enables to facilitate successful TEM analysis. This paper demonstrates a few examples to show the tricks on positioning, protection deposition, sample dicing, and focused ion beam milling of the TEM sample preparation for advanced DRAMs. The micro-structures of the devices and samples architectures were observed by using cross sectional transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and optical microscopy. Following these tricks can help readers to prepare TEM samples with higher quality and efficiency.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document