A short introduction
TEM specimen preparation; an introduction
Specimen preparation aspects of samples, composed of materials with very different properties, for cross-sectional TEM (XTEM) observation. Example: Dimple Grinding/Polishing and Argon ion milling as applied to a brittle magnetic thin film on a flexible plastic tape.
XTEM analysis of porous anodic aluminium oxide films with columnar structure.
Observation of blisters, the importance of specimen thickness to allow XTEM viewing of the fully intact hemispherical blister dome.
Large field of view XTEM analysis of piezoelectric material. Challenging or piece of a cake? In this example is shown how the method of Dimple Grinding/Polishing and argon ion etching compares with Focus Ion Beam to prepare specimen composed of a very thick film of piezoelectric material, several micrometers thick, on an electrically non-conductive substrate.
Energy-filtered TEM
Ion beam induced artifacts; damage by FIB milling