[3dem] Contamination problem on cryo grids

[Kasim Sader]

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone has tried removing hydrocarbon contamination
from carbon films by heating them up to say ~250C in vacuum?
We do this routinely on materials samples that can tolerate it to prevent
mobile surface contaminants from migrating to the high current density STEM
electron probe for imaging but especially energy loss spectroscopy, and it
works very well. It would of course need to be followed by the usual
treatment (plasma clean/glow discharge/UV) to make the film hydrophillic.

Regards,

Kasim


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Dr Kasim Sader
SuperSTEM
Daresbury Laboratory
Warrington
WA4 4AD