Specimen preparation of free‐standing, thick‐metal, multilayered films in cross section

A new preparation method permits the production of large‐area, electron‐transparent, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens in cross section of free‐standing, thick, multilayered structures. Such production often has been difficult in the past because of large chemical differences between the component layers in the multilayer. This difference usually results in a large difference in thinning rates between the layers. A unique combination of electroplating, lapping, dimpling, and low‐angle ion milling is a successful and reproducible technique for producing high‐quality TEM specimens of these complex materials. Procedures and results presented here are for a 304 stainless‐steel/copper multilayer having a repeat period of 20 nm and a total thickness of 20 μm. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

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