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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Preparing Lamellae from Vitreous Biological Samples Using a Dual-Beam Scanning Electron Microscope for Cryo-Electron Tomography
Published on: August 5, 2021
Large Area Cryo-Planing of Vitrified Samples Using Broad-Beam Ion Milling
Irene Y T Chang1, Derk Joester1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Northwestern University,2220 Campus Drive,Evanston,IL 60208,USA.
Abstract:
On account of its excellent resolution and high throughput, cryoSEM imaging has recently seen resurgence. In this work, we report on the development of cryogenic triple ion gun milling (CryoTIGM™), a broad ion beam milling technique for cryo-planing of vitrified, "frozen-hydrated" specimens. We find that sections prepared with CryoTIGM™ are smooth over exceptionally large areas (~700,000 µm2), and reveal ultrastructural details in similar or better quality than freeze-fractured samples.

