TEM Specimen Preparation Methods: Organic Materials

This lecture covers various techniques for preparing organic materials for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), including dispersions, disintegration, staining, ultramicrotomy, and more. It discusses the challenges of achieving contrast in TEM images, such as beam sensitivity and lack of intrinsic contrast in organic specimens. Examples of preparation methods and images are provided, showcasing dispersion evaporation, film formation during drying, and isolated lamellae cooling. The lecture also explores techniques like ultramicrotomy for soft and hard polymers, embedding for microtomy, and focused ion-beam milling for difficult composites.