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Contrast and quantitation in uniform regions of thin sections using transmission electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Edie John W.,
Karlsson Ulf L.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1977.tb00058.x
Subject(s) - materials science , transmission electron microscopy , scattering , acceleration voltage , optics , aperture (computer memory) , cross section (physics) , electron scattering , electron , thin film , electron microscope , molecular physics , chemistry , cathode ray , physics , nanotechnology , acoustics , quantum mechanics
SUMMARY A direct approach to quantitative measurements of uniform regions in thin sections is described. Accelerating voltages around 80 kV and objective aperture angles of about 9·3 mrad will provide conditions where contrast is directly proportional to specimen mass thickness. An extensive treatment of electron scattering in Formvar films for wide ranges of electron microscopic operating conditions is summarized in a simple, empirical equation. The extent to which Formvar results may be generalized to other materials, both embedding media and structures within the thin section, is treated. Using these results, precise measurements of local section thickness and of specimen density and/or dry mass of regions which penetrate the entire section thickness are possible, with the accuracy dependent upon irradiation effects and specimen makeup.