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The Use of a Cold Gas Plasma for the Final Processing of Contamination-Free TEM Specimens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

P.E. Fischione ,
J. Ringnalda ,
Y. Feng ,
T. Krekels ,
H.O. Colijn ,
M.J. Mills  and
J.M. Wiezorek
P.E. Fischione
Affiliation:
E.A. Fischione Instruments,Inc., Export, PA15632, USA
J. Ringnalda
Affiliation:
Philips Electron Optics,Inc., MahwahNJ07430, USA
Y. Feng
Affiliation:
Philips Electron Optics,Inc., MahwahNJ07430, USA
T. Krekels
Affiliation:
Philips Electron Optics, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
H.O. Colijn
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210, USA
M.J. Mills
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210, USA
J.M. Wiezorek
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210, USA
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Extract

The issue of specimen contamination becomes more important at a rate proportional to the use of high-brightness electron source Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM). These TEMs combine smaller electron probes with increased current, allowing high resolution specimen imaging and enhanced analytical data collection. Small, high current electron probes tend to increase the detrimental effect of hydrocarbon presence on the specimen's surface. The subsequent formation of carbon deposits caused by the focused probe often times obstructs imaging and precludes acceptable analytical results. by plasma cleaning the specimen, contamination is removed and the results obtained by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) using EDS or electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) are greatly enhanced. Recent instrumentation developments have resulted in the application of a high frequency, low energy, reactive gas plasma generated in an oil-free vacuum that chemically removes hydrocarbon contamination from both the TEM specimen holder and the specimen without altering its properties.

Type
Analytical Electron Microscopy
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 3 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '97, Microscopy Society of America 55th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 31st Annual Meeting, Histochemical Society 48th Annual Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, August 10-14, 1997 , August 1997 , pp. 985 - 986
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 1997

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References

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