Transmission Electron Microscpe (TEM)

Basic principles
The design of a transmission
electron microscope (TEM) is
analogous to that of an optical
microscope. In a TEM high-energy
(>100 kV) electrons are used instead of
photons and electromagnetic lenses
instead of glass lenses. The electron
beam passes an electron-transparent
sample and a magnified image is
formed using a set of lenses. This
image is projected onto a fluorescent
screen or a CCD camera. The much
smaller wavelength of electrons allows
for a resolution of 0.2 nm in a TEM.
Basic diagram of TEM
 Components of TEM
Source (electron gun) of the electron beam which is accelerated down the column

Series of electromagnetic coils (shifts or tilts) which ensure that the electron beam is symmetrical
and centered as it passes down the optical column of the microscope

Series of electromagnetic lenses (condenser, objective, intermediate, projector) which act to

illuminate the specimen and focus/magnify the specimen on the fluorescent screen/ camera

Series of apertures (micron-scale holes in metal film) which the beam passes through and which
effect properties of that beam.

Specimen holder which positions the sample in the path of the electron beam. The area of
beam/specimen interaction generates several types of signals that can be detected and processed to
produce an image, diffraction pattern or spectra. There are controls for specimen position and
orientation (x, y, z or height, tilt, rotation);.

Fluorescent screen CCD camera which converts the electron signal to a form we humans can see.

Note: all of the above maintained at high vacuum levels.

Electron Guns
The electron gun produces a beam of electrons whose kinetic energy is high
enough to enable them to pass through thin areas of the TEM specimen. The gun
consists of an electron source, also known as the cathode because it is at a high negative
potential, and an electron-accelerating chamber. The purpose of the electron gun is to
provide a stable beam of electrons of adjustable energy. There are two main types of
electron guns:
•Tungsten hairpin
•Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6)

Electromagnetic Lenses
It is useful to reason by analogy with glass lenses used for focusing light to help
one understand the operation of electromagnetic lenses. In light optics we exchange
lenses to change magnification and adjust the height of a given lens along the optic axis
to focus. Electromagnetic lenses in contrast are stationary -- but we can vary their
strength by altering the amount of current running through them. Thus electromagnetic
lenses have variable focal points.
Working of Electromagnetic lenses
When an electron passes through
an electromagnetic lens it is subjected to two
vector forces at any particular moment: a
force (HZ) parallel to the core (Z axis) of the
lens; and a force (HR) parallel to the radius
of the lens. These two forces are responsible
for two different actions on the electrons,
spiraling and focusing, as they pass through
the lens. An electron passing through the lens
parallel to the Z axis will experience the
force (HZ) causing it to spiral through the
lens. This spiraling causes the electron to
experience (HR) which causes the beam to
be compressed toward the Z axis. The
magnetic field is inhomogeneous in such a
way that it is weak in the center of the gap
and becomes stronger close to the opening.
Electrons close to the center are less strongly
deflected than those passing the lens far from
the axis.
The magnification of the lens = q/p
 Interactions with specimen
The scatter which results from the
electron beam interacting with the
specimen can be as follow:
Forward or backward. We will focus
on forward scatter;
Coherent or incoherent. Beam
electrons undergoing coherent
interactions maintain phase relations
and those undergoing incoherent
interactions do not. We will utilize
both coherent and incoherent
scattering;
Elastic or inelastic. Beam electrons
undergoing inelastic interactions
with the specimen atoms show
measurable energy loss and those
undergoing elastic interactions do
not.
 Imaging System
In imaging mode, the scatter is focused by the objective lens to the first intermediate
image plane which subsequently acts as the object plane for the magnifying lenses. Rays
emitting from a given point in the specimen plane come to a focused point in the image
plane. The adjacent shows rays coming from two different points of the specimen as
dark and light blue shown in figure on next page.

An objective aperture is situated within the beam path just below the objective lens. The
objective aperture is important for several reasons. The aperture will:

allow for signal selection.

provide for contrast within the image ( a lower accelerating voltage will also increase
contrast)

 decrease objective lens aberrations, spherical and chromatic, which will degrade image
resolution.

affect depth of field in the image – a smaller aperture giving better depth of field.
 In diffraction mode, rays emitting
from the specimen that are parallel to one
another come to focus in the back focal plane
of the objective lens. The parallel rays with
different colors: dark blue, light blue, and red
are shown. The diffraction pattern which
occurs in the back focal plane of the objective
lens arises simply as a consequence of image
formation in the image plane of that lens.
When we enter diffraction mode on the TEM,
we are adjusting the strength of the
intermediate lens so that this objective back
focal plane becomes its object plane. We
remove the objective aperture and insert
another aperture further down the column—a
selected area diffraction (SAD) aperture, to
select a portion of the sample from which the
diffraction pattern arises. That SAD aperture
acts as a virtual aperture.
Bright and dark field images showing diffraction
contrast
Consider a specimen which has a crystalline nature. The incident electron
beam interacting with such a specimen will result in coherent elastic as well as
incoherent elastic scattering. The former type of scatter will occur at special
(Bragg) angles controlled by the crystal structure and the orientation of the
specimen with respect to the incident beam. At these angles the specimen, whether
single crystalline (left) or polycrystalline (right), will produce a diffraction pattern
as shown below.
Bright and dark field images showing mass/thickness contrast
The principle scattering mechanism in our sample will be incoherent elastic
scattering. That scattering is enhanced by atomic number, density and specimen
thickness and the contrast produced is thus termed “mass – thickness contrast”.

Those areas of the sample that are thicker or of

higher atomic number will proportionally scatter more. If
we introduce an objective aperture directly below the
specimen then that scatter will not be allowed to travel
down the column and those areas of scatter will appear
darker in the image. A smaller objective aperture will
intercept more of this scatter and thus will enhance mass—
thickness contrast.
The images to the right are of a filamentous
carbon membrane with 15 nm gold particles attached. The
top image is referred to as “bright field”; the bottom “dark
field”.
Disadvantages
Some points of electron microscopes include:

1. TEMs are large and very expensive

2. Sample preparation is tedious

3. Operation and analysis requires special training

4. Samples are limited to those that are electron transparent, able to

tolerate the vacuum chamber and small enough to fit in the chamber

5. TEMs require special housing and maintenance

6. Images are black and white

7. Electron microscopes are sensitive to vibration and electromagnetic fields

and must be housed in an area that isolates them from possible exposure.
Advantages
A Transmission Electron Microscope is an impressive instrument with a number
of advantages such as:

1. TEMs offer the most powerful magnification, potentially over one million
times or more

2. TEMs have a wide-range of applications and can be utilized in a variety of

different scientific, educational and industrial fields

3. TEMs provide information on element and compound structure images of

high-quality

4. TEMs are able to yield information of surface features, shape, size and
structure

5. They are easy to operate with proper training

 TEM holder

Grid
Hole for specimen