Mounting Thinned Samples to TEM Grids
Refer to the original PDF for tables, figures and page layout.
Page 1\nApplications Note \nwww.alliedhightech.com \nAllied High Tech Products, Inc. \nCall for more information: 800.675.1118 \nMounting Thinned Samples to TEM Grids \nDate: 06/2020, v1.0 \nMounting Thinned Samples to TEM Grids \nDate: 06/2020, v1.0 \nMounting a thinned sample to a grid is the last step when preparing samples for \nobservation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). It is important to fit the \nsample to the grid without any extra material hanging off the sides so that the grid and \nstage will fit inside the TEM. Using fine self-closing tweezers makes handling the grid \nand the sample easier. \nThere are a variety of TEM grids to choose from, but molybdenum (moly) and copper \ngrids with central oval openings are the most common. \nChoosing an Adhesive \nThere are multiple methods to mount the sample to the grid that require different \nadhesives. User preference, application and sample type will dictate which method is \nbest. For more information regarding various adhesives, see Allied’s “Adhesives for TEM \nSample Preparation” applications note or contact Allied. \nEpoxyBond 110 (#71-10000) or M-Bond 610 (#71-20000) can be used to mount \nthe sample to the grid after it has been removed from the fixture. They can also be used \nwhile the sample is still attached to the fixture because of their resistance to acetone, \nwhich is generally used to clean the sample after removal. \nTrimming the Sample\nIf the sample is longer than 1.5 mm, the sample \nedge will hang off the grid (Figure 1a). It can be \ntrimmed down by tracing the overhanging edge \nwith a diamond scribe. \nRecommended Method \nImmediately after polishing and with the sample \nstill attached to the fixture, mount a TEM grid to \nthe sample and then trace the long ends of the \nsample with a diamond scribe (Figure 1a). \nMounting the sample to the grid while it is still on \nthe fixture provides more stability during trimming. \nMelt the mounting wax by placing the fixture on a \nhot plate, then remove the sample and grid \ntogether from the fixture. The remaining wax \ncan be removed with acetone and cleaned with \nisopropyl alcohol (Figure 1b). \na \nFigure 1: The sample edge hangs off the grid (a). \nThe TEM grid after being removed from the fixture (b). \nb \n