TEM Window Grids

Choosing the right TEM Window Grid, EMS76042 and EMS76043 Series:

Membrane Window Strength - Differential Pressure Tolerance:

Silicon Nitride

All the membrane types and membrane area configurations have been robustness tested by application of differential pressure. In these tests, the membrane was oriented such that differential pressure forced the membrane against the chip frame. In the opposite orientation where the membrane would be delaminated from the chip frame, the pressure tolerance would be several times lower.

All values below are the maximum tolerated differential pressure reported as mean +/- standard deviation (n = 3), in units of PSI.

Window Sizes:

• 9 Windows: (8) 100 x 100, (1) 100 x 350 micron
• 9 Small Windows: (8) 50 x 50, (1) 50 x 350 micron
• 2 Slots: (2) 50 x 1500 micron
• Single Windows: (1) square window of x micron side-length

TEM Grid Handling Instructions:

TEM and X-Ray Windows are packaged in silicone gel-boxes with their suspended membrane films facing up (see cross-section). The suspended membrane side of TEM and X-Ray Windows should never be placed onto another surface in the opposite "face-down" orientation.

TEM and X-Ray Windows are packaged in silicone gel-boxes with their suspended membrane films facing up (see cross-section). The suspended membrane side of TEM and X-Ray Windows should never be placed onto another surface in the opposite "face-down" orientation.

We recommend handling TEM and X-Ray Windows from the sides of their frames using flat-sided, K6-style plastic or PTFE-coated tweezers. Do not directly touch the suspended membrane window. For best results when removing off the silicone gel-boxes, follow the technique shown in the figure (see below).

Cleaning

TEM and X-Ray Windows are made of ultrathin, silicon-based films that are very robust when dry, but care must be used when wet. For liquid cleaning, most organic solvents are compatible (e.g., isopropanol, acetone, toluene, etc...). Water or dilute solutions of HCl or H₂SO₄ can be used. Silicon nitride films can be cleaned in basic solutions, but dilute/weak bases can only be used for pure silicon and silicon dioxide films for short exposures (<10 seconds).

When introducing TEM and X-Ray Windows into a solution, the chip should be held vertically with tweezers. The chip can then be moved up and down in the cleaning solution. To rinse, transfer to distilled/deionised water using the same method.

Plasma Cleaning

For plasma cleaning, we recommend using pure O₂ if possible as Ar will degrade nanometer-thick films over time. Typical O₂/Ar mixtures are acceptable. In general, silicon-based films can be cleaned for significantly longer (>60 seconds) than conventional carbon films, eliminating most organic contaminants. UV-ozone treatment is compatible as well. We recommend comparing a treated and untreated TEM or X-Ray Window when first characterizing cleaning protocols. If light microscope inspection reveals substantial change in color or wrinkling of the treated suspended membrane film, then conditions may be too aggressive and may have degraded the membrane film. We recommend following the system manufacturer's power settings. Note that pure silicon TEM Windows will oxidise in the presence of O₂ at elevated temperatures and crystallise at >600°C.

Sample Deposition

When applying a liquid sample, we recommend placing a small drop of solution and wicking away the excess with a clean laboratory or lens tissue. The specimen should be allowed to dry in a clean environment as rapidly as possible to minimize contamination. If adhesion or dispersion is not as desired, pretreatment by O₂ plasma or UV-ozone can be used to increase surface hydrophilicity. The use of typical MEMS processes for depositing other thin films is compatible with most TEM and X-Ray Windows. We recommend avoiding highly stressed films and/or high stress mis-matches that may occur during high-temperature depositions. Spin-coating other films is compatible as well, but we recommend an appropriate holder that avoids direct exposure of the suspended membrane to vacuum during spin-coating.

Other Specifications

Temperature and differential pressure tolerances are available by visiting our Technical Info page on the left navigation bar. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Citations:

Silicon Nitride

• Fabrication of a Lift-Out Grid with Electrical Contacts for Focused Ion Beam Preparation of Lamella for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy.
  • Mecklenburg et al. (2013) Microscopy and Microanalysis. 19: 458-459.
• Cryo-SiN - A New Substrate to Monitor Viral Mechanisms.
  • Tanner et al. (2013) Microscopy and Microanalysis. 19: 90-91.
• Three Dimensional Imaging of Dislocations in a Nanoparticle at Atomic Resolution
  • Chen et al. (2013) Nature. 496(7433): 74-77.
• Blueshift of the surface plasmon resonance in silver nano particles: substrate effects.
  • Raza et al. (2013) Opt Express. 21: 27344-27355
• Grains and Grain Boundaries in Highly Crystalline Monolayer Molybdenum Disulphide
  • Van der Zande et al. (2013) Nature Materials. 12: 554-561.
• Nanopatterning by ion implantation through nanoporous alumina masks
  • Guan W, Ross I, Bhatta U, Ghatak J, Peng N, Inkson B, and Mobus G. (2013) Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15: 4291-4296.
• Softening under membrane contact stress due to ultra-thin RU coatings on AU films
  • Romasco-Tremper A, Mohney S, Andre K, Lin J, Muhlstein C. (2013) Materials Science and Engineering A. 565: 172-179.
• Twinning and Twisting of Tri- and Bilayer Graphene
  • Brown, L, Hovden R, Huang P, Wojcik M, Muller DA. (2012) Nano Letters. 12(3): 1609-1615.
• Real-Time Single-Molecule Imaging of Quantum Interference
  • Juffmann T, Milic A, Mullneritsch M, Asenbaum P, Tsukernik A, Tuxen J, Mayor M, Cheshnovsky O, Arndt M. (2012) Nature Nanotechnology. 7: 297-300.
• In Situ Analytical Electron Microscopy for Probing Nanoscale Electrochemistry
  • Meng YS, McGilvray T, Yang MC, Gostovic D, Wang F, Zeng D, Zhu Y, and Graetz J. (2011) The Electrochemistry Society Interface. Fall, 49-52.
• MEMS Process Compatibility of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes
  • Carter et al. (2011) Vacuum Science & Technology B 29(6): 4-12.
• Graphene and boron nitride lateral heterostructures for atomically thin circuitry
  • Levendorf et al. (2012) Nature. 488: 627-632.
• Tailoring Electrical Transport Across Grain Boundaries in Polycrystalline Graphene
  • Tsen A, Brown L, Levendorf M, Ghahari F, Huang P, Havener R, Ruiz-Vargas C, Muller D, Kim P, and Park J. (2012) Science. 336: 1143-1146.

Non-Porous Pure Silicon

• Electron Tomography at 2.4A Resolution
  • Scott MC, Chen CC, Mecklenburg M, Zhu C, Xu R, Ercius P, Dahmen U, Regan BC, Miao J. (2012) Nature. 483: 444-447.
• Revealing Correlation of Valence State with Nanoporous Structure in Cobalt Catalyst
  • Xin et al. (2012) ACS Nano. 6(5): 4241-4247.
• Direct Imaging and Chemical Analysis of Unstained DNA Origami Performed with a Transmission Electron Microscope
  • Alloyeau D, Ding B, Ramasse Q, Kisielowski C, Lee Z, Jeon KJ. (2011) Chemical Communications. 47: 9375-9377.

Porous Pure Silicon

• Quantitative Imaging of Ion Transport through Single Nanopores by High-Resolution Scanning
  • Shen et al. (2012) J Am Chem Soc. 134(24):9856-9
• Ion-Selective Permeability of an Ultrathin Nanoporous Silicon Membrane as Probed by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy Using Micropipet-Supported ITIES Tips
  • Ishimatsu R, Kim J, Jing P, Striemer CC, Fang DZ, Fauchet PM, McGrath JL, Amemiya S. (2010) Analytical Chemistry. 82(17): 7127-7134.

Silicon Dioxide

• Silicon Nitride grids are compatible with correlative negative staining electron microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for use in the detection of micro-organisms.
  • Lausch et al. (2013) J Appl Microbiology. 116: 1521-1530.
• Controlling Dielectrics with the Electric Field of Light
  • Schultze et al. (2013) Nature. 493: 75-78.
• Graphene Oxide Windows for In Situ Environmental Cell Photoelectron Spectroscopy
  • Kolmakov A, Dikin DA, Cote LJ, Huang J, Abyaneh MK, Amati M, Gregoratti L, Günther S, Kiskinova M. (2011) Nature Nanotechnology. 6: 651-657.
• Irreversible Chemical Reactions Visualized in Space and Time with 4D Electron Microscopy
  • Park ST, Flannigan DJ, Zewail AH. (2011) J Am Chem Soc. 130(6): 1730-1733.
• Metal-Catalyzed Growth of Semiconductor Nanostructures without Solubility and Diffusivity Constraints
  • Wang Z, Gu L, Phillipp F, Wang JY, Jeurgens LP, Mittemeijer EJ. (2011) Advanced Materials. 23(7): 854-859.
• Biological Imaging with 4D Ultrafast Electron Microscopy
  • Flannigan DJ, Barwick B, Zewail AH. (2010) Proc Natl Acad Sci. 107(22): 9933-9937.