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Transmission Electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation Method for Multiphase Porous Functional Ceramics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2013

W. Zhang ,
L. Theil Kuhn ,
P.S. Jørgensen ,
K. Thydén ,
J.J. Bentzen ,
E. Abdellahi ,
B.R. Sudireddy ,
M. Chen  and
J.R. Bowen
W. Zhang*
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
L. Theil Kuhn
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
P.S. Jørgensen
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
K. Thydén
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
J.J. Bentzen
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
E. Abdellahi
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
B.R. Sudireddy
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
M. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
J.R. Bowen
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Risø campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: wzha@dtu.dk, phdweizhang@gmail.com
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Abstract

An optimum method is proposed to prepare thin foil transmission electron microscopy (TEM) lamellae of multiphase porous functional ceramics: prefilling the pore space of these materials with an epoxy resin prior to focused ion beam milling. Several advantages of epoxy impregnation are demonstrated by successful preparation of TEM specimens that maintain the structural integrity of the entire lamella. Feasibility of the TEM alignment procedure is demonstrated, and ideal TEM analyses are illustrated on solid oxide fuel cell and solid oxide electrolysis cell materials. Some potential drawbacks of the TEM specimen preparation method are listed for other samples.

Keywords

porous ceramic compositesepoxyTEMFIB
Type
Software, Techniques, and Equipment Development: Short Communications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 501 - 505
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2013

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