Controlled removal by ion beam etching of surface contaminant layers on transmission electron microscope specimens
Abstract
The basic principles of transmission electron microscope (TEM) specimen preparation by ion beam thinning are described. The rate of material removal from stainless steel specimens has been assessed and this information has been used to demonstrate the controlled thinning of TEM specimen. Three examples where ion beam wiping can be used to remove contaminated surface layers of TEM specimens are given: (1) chlorine - enriched surface regions on stainless steel; (2) Cu-S rich films on ferritic steels; and (3) oxide films on sintered aluminum. These examples make it clear that ion beam wiping is an essential step in the preparation of some TEM specimens where accurate chemical analysis is required.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- October 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985STIN...8628271J
- Keywords:
-
- Contaminants;
- Electron Microscopy;
- Ion Beams;
- Machining;
- Oxide Films;
- Specimens;
- Stainless Steels;
- Surface Layers;
- Aluminum;
- Chlorine;
- Copper;
- Rates (Per Time);
- Sintering;
- Sulfur;
- Engineering (General)