Transmission

Electron
Microscopy (TEM)
Dr. Sara Riaz
16-11-16

Introduction
Electron Microscopy involves study of

different specimens using electron microscope

Electron microscope: use beam of energetic
electrons to examine objects
Greater magnification than light microscope

Difference between light

microscope and electron
microscope

COMPARISION OF LIGHT AND ELECTRON

MICROSCOPE
LIGHT MICROSCOPE
Optical glass lens, lower magnification,
do not
Require vacuum, Low price.

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
Magnetic lens,
Higher magnification and better
Resolution, Operates in HIGH
vacuum, Price tag.

Types of electron
microscope
Scanning electron microscope uses focused beam of

low energy electrons to raster along a bulky object and

give you low resolution of the surface

Transmission electron microscope much higher

resolution of thin samples possibility here to get even to

atomic resolution

How electrons interact with matter?

Instrument components

BASIC DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION ELECTRON

MICROSCOPE
Evacuated metal cylinder within which are
aligned,
one under another:
1. Tungsten filament (the cathode)
2. A Metal plate with central aperture (the anode)
3. A number of magnetic lenses
4. A Fluorescent screen
5. A photographic plate

DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

A simplified ray diagram of a

TEM consists of an electron
source, condenser lens with
aperture, specimen, objective
lens with aperture, projector
lens and fluorescent screen.
In actuality a modern TEM consists of many
more components including a dual condenser
system, stigmators, deflector coils, and a
combination of intermediate and dual projector
lens

Electron Gun

Electron beam is generated in the electron gun.

Two basic types of guns are used:

1. Thermionic Gun:
Based on two types of filaments: Tungsten(W) and
Lanthanum-Hexaboride(LaB6).
2. Field Emission Gun(FEG):
Employs either a thermally assisted cold field
emitter or Schottky emitter.

Electron Optics Elements

Lense: Focus(or defocus) the beam on the

specimen and change the magnification.

Deflection Coil: Shift or tilt the beam.

Stigmators: Correct the lenses. Ideally

lenses are round and symmetrical but in

practice there are small deviation which is
corrected by the stigmators.

MAGNETIC LENSES
1.Coil of several thousand turns of wire through which a
current of less than or equal to one amp is passed --creates a magnetic field.
2.. Electrons are deflected by magnetic field
3. To concentrate field further a soft iron pole piece is
inserted into the bore of the objective lens.
5. To focus an electron beam onto a given plane the
current
through the coils must be set to a precise value.
.

1. CONDENSER LENS
Illuminates the specimen.
Relatively weak lens.
Longer focal length than objective or
projector lens.
May bring electron beam into focus
directly upon specimen, above the
specimen (over focusing)
Condenser Aperture: chooses size of beam

Sample

OBJECTIVE LENS
Strong lens, combines scattered and un scattered

electrons to give image contrast

Highly concentrated magnetic field and short focal length.
Causes electron beam, which has passed through specimen,
to focus at a point a few mm below specimen.
Magnification of image produced a short distance below
focused point.
A cold finger or anticontaminator also sits near the objective
lens. It consists of a thin copper rod at liquid nitrogen
temperatures, so that contaminants are attracted to it.
An objective aperture is used to enhance specimen contrast because

it blocks the elastically scattered electrons but allows the unscattered

electrons to go through.

Intermediate lenses
Magnification packages

Projector Lens
Magnification produced by projector lens

dependent on current passing through the coil of

the lens (ie increase current spreads beam further
= higher mag.)
Projector lens has great depth of focus (several

meters). Therefore distance at which fluorescent

screen or photographic plate are placed is not
critical.

Total magnification in the TEM is a combination of the

magnification from the objective lens times the
magnification of the intermediate lens times the
magnification of the projector lens. Each of which is
capable of approximately 100X.

Mob X Mint X Mproj = Total Mag

Fluorescent Screen
Fluorescence: Property of emitting radiation under the

influence of electromagnetic or electron beam

bombardment.

In the TEM, screen coated with a material in the visible

range, eg zinc sulphide, is installed beneath the

projector lens in the path of the electron beam.

Screen emits visible light when bombarded with

electrons.

Maintenance of
instrument
Instrument maintenance that requires staff or

company repair are

filament saturation,
filament exchange,
aperture cleaning or replacement,
specimen holder cleaning,
vacuum pump maintenance, and
viewing screen

Sample preparation

Preparation of sample
Prepare solution of appropriate concentration
Drop sample 2-3 times on grid after drying

each time
Mark grids
Run the sample

Working mechanism
Vacuum system
Electron cant travel more than a few angstrom without
colliding with gas molecules.

Distance between photographic plate and electron gun is

approximately 1 meter.

Electron gun must be evacuated (10-4 torr).

Imaging

BRIGHT FIELD IMAGING

ALLOWING TRNSMITTED
BEAM

DARK FIELD IMAGING ALLOWING

DIFFRACTED BEAM

trons are either absorbed by the sample or elastically scattered, that generate t
trast in the image
e region where lots of scattering occurs appear dark due to more density
gions where less scattering appears appear white.

Electron diffraction
patterns

ngs are created because of the tremendous amount of crystals that show diffrac
acking all those patterns on top of each other in random directions show the ring

Diffraction patterns of sputtered

alumina

1. Single crystal electron diffraction pattern

2. Poly crytalline or single crystalline
3. Sample is amorphous or crystalline

Applications of TEM
Evaluation and optimization of crystal growth
Nano crystals identification
Monitoring of the processess
Morphology, topography investigation

Monitoring of the fragmentation

process