Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T10:39:15.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ultrathin Carbon Support Films for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy of Nanoparticles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2007

Young-Min Kim ,
Ji-Sun Kang ,
Ji-Soo Kim ,
Jong-Man Jeung ,
Jeong-Yong Lee  and
Youn-Joong Kim
Young-Min Kim
Affiliation:
Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, 52 Yeoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-333, Korea Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Korea
Ji-Sun Kang
Affiliation:
Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, 52 Yeoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
Ji-Soo Kim
Affiliation:
Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, 52 Yeoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
Jong-Man Jeung
Affiliation:
Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, 52 Yeoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
Jeong-Yong Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Korea
Youn-Joong Kim
Affiliation:
Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, 52 Yeoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
Get access

Abstract

We introduce a simple preparation method for ultrathin carbon support films that is especially useful for high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) of nanoparticles. Oxidized iron nanoparticles were used as a test sample in a demonstration of this method. The film qualities are discussed on the basis of electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and image analysis techniques such as thickness maps and histograms. We carried out a comparison between the homemade and commercial film qualities. The relative thickness of the homemade support films was 0.6 times less than that of the commercial films, which was calculated from the EELS analysis, whereas the thicknesses of both carbon support films varied within about 3%. The percentage of the observable area was about 67 ± 7.6% of the support film. This was about twice as large as the commercial film (32 ± 9.3%). The HREM image of the sample prepared with our support film improved 9% in brightness and 15% in contrast compared with images obtained with the commercial support.

Keywords

carbonsupport filmHREMnanoparticleEELS
Type
MATERIALS APPLICATIONS
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , August 2007 , pp. 285 - 290
Copyright
© 2007 Microscopy Society of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Al-Mausawe, R.A.A. & Quinn, T.F.J. (1982). The effect of amorphous material on the contrast of electron diffraction patterns. J Phys D 15, 267–274.Google Scholar
Boothroyd, C.B. (2000). Quantification of high-resolution electron microscope images of amorphous carbon. Ultramicroscopy 83, 159–168.Google Scholar
Drahos, V. & De Long, A. (1960). A simple method for obtaining perforated supporting membranes for electron microscopy. Nature 186, 106.Google Scholar
Ermantraut, E., Wohlfart, K. & Tichelaar, W. (1998). Perforated support foils with pre-defined hole size, shape and arrangement. Ultramicroscopy 74, 75–81.Google Scholar
Faberge, A.C. (1974). Carbon support films for electron microscopy by deposition on an organic glass. J Phys E 7, 95–98.Google Scholar
Harris, J.R. & Scheffler, D. (2002). Routine preparation of air-dried negatively stained and unstained specimens on holey carbon support films: A review of applications. Micron 33, 461–480.Google Scholar
Harris, W.J. (1962). Holey film for electron microscopy. Nature 196, 499–500.Google Scholar
Hoelke, C.W. (1975). Preparation and use of holey carbon microgrids in high resolution electron microscopy. Micron 5, 307–311.Google Scholar
Iijima, S. (1977). Thin graphite support films for high resolution electron microscopy. Micron 8, 41–46.Google Scholar
Johansen, B.V. (1974). Bright field electron microscopy of biological specimens. II. Preparation of ultra-thin carbon support films. Micron 5, 209–221.Google Scholar
Johansen, B.V. (1975). Bright field electron microscopy of biological specimens. IV. Ultrasonic exfoliated graphite as “low-noise” support films. Micron 6, 165–173.Google Scholar
Johansen, B.V. (1976). Bright field electron microscopy of biological specimens. VI. Signal-to-noise ratio in specimens prepared on amorphous carbon and graphite crystal supports. Micron 7, 157–170.Google Scholar
Johansen, B.V. (1977). High resolution bright field electron microscopy of biological specimens. Ultramicroscopy 2, 229–239.Google Scholar
Moharir, A.V. & Prakash, N. (1975). Formvar holey films and nets for electron microscopy. J Phys E 8, 288–290.Google Scholar
Pease, D.C. (1975). Micronets for electron microscopy. Micron 6, 85–92.Google Scholar
Reichelt, R., Konig, T. & Wangermann, G. (1977). Preparation of microgrids as specimen supports for high resolution electron microscopy. Micron 8, 29–31.Google Scholar
Schmutz, M., Lang, J., Graff, S. & Brisson, A. (1994). Defects of planarity of carbon films supported on electron microscope grids revealed by reflected light microscopy. J Struc Bio 112, 252–258.Google Scholar
Stolinski, C. & Gross, M. (1969). A method for making thin, large surface area carbon supporting films for use in electron microscopy. Micron 1, 326–338.Google Scholar
Vonck, J. (2000). Parameters affecting specimen flatness of two-dimensional crystals for electron crystallography. Ultramicroscopy 85, 123–129.Google Scholar