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Related Concept Videos

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam
10:54

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam

Published on: July 26, 2014

The focused ion beam fold-out: sample preparation method for transmission electron microscopy.

Herman Carlo Floresca1, Jangbae Jeon, Jinguo G Wang

  • 1Department of Materials Science & Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Rd., RL 10, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA.

Microscopy and Microanalysis : the Official Journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada
|October 7, 2009
PubMed
Summary

We developed a new focused ion beam (FIB) fold-out technique for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation. This method is site-specific, faster, and allows for both cross-section and plan-view analysis without a nanomanipulator.

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Sample Preparation by 3D-Correlative Focused Ion Beam Milling for High-Resolution Cryo-Electron Tomography
08:20

Sample Preparation by 3D-Correlative Focused Ion Beam Milling for High-Resolution Cryo-Electron Tomography

Published on: October 25, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam
10:54

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam

Published on: July 26, 2014

Sample Preparation by 3D-Correlative Focused Ion Beam Milling for High-Resolution Cryo-Electron Tomography
08:20

Sample Preparation by 3D-Correlative Focused Ion Beam Milling for High-Resolution Cryo-Electron Tomography

Published on: October 25, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Electron Microscopy

Background:

  • Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) requires meticulously prepared electron-transparent specimens.
  • Traditional site-specific sample preparation methods can be time-consuming and complex, often requiring nanomanipulators and fine polishing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel, efficient, and site-specific sample preparation technique for TEM using focused ion beam (FIB) milling.
  • To reduce sample preparation time and complexity while enabling versatile analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Developed the "FIB fold-out" technique, involving cutting, polishing, and FIB milling of a sample wafer.
  • A tab with the area of interest is milled and "folded out" from the bulk sample.
  • The technique allows for thinning to electron transparency for TEM analysis, yielding both cross-section and plan-view perspectives.

Main Results:

  • The FIB fold-out technique eliminates the need for fine polishing or dimpling, significantly saving preparation time.
  • It is site-specific and does not require a nanomanipulator.
  • The method enables obtaining both cross-sectional and plan-view images from a single sample, facilitating multi-zone axis analysis.

Conclusions:

  • The FIB fold-out technique offers a powerful and efficient approach for TEM sample preparation.
  • It allows for the examination of multiple zone axes and large sample areas within a single TEM session.
  • This method facilitates the preparation of multiple site-specific electron-transparent specimens from one sample, overcoming limitations of other techniques.