Self-Supporting Specimens for Transmission Electron Microscopy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Self‐supporting specimens were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. These specimens were disks which fit directly into the specimen holder of the Hitachi HU‐11 electron microscope and had a thin central region with a relatively thick supporting rim. This form of specimen was made possible by the technique of electrocutting, which made it practical to cut a 3.2‐mm disk from a sheet of metal. The procedure and the theory of this technique are discussed briefly. The electron micrographs of these self‐supporting specimens of aluminum and molybdenum show very few bend extinction contours and other evidence of extraneous distortion compared to the electron micrographs made from specimens prepared by the conventional technique. Another advantage of this new technique is that specimens can be repolished; this makes it easy to get very thin areas and to remove contamination.