SEDL / STP / STP372-EB / STP48330S

Application of a Conducting Mask for Thinning Metallic Foils for Electron Transmission Microscopy

Despres, Thomas A.
Assistant professor of mechanical engineering, University of Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan

Pages: 7    Published: Jan 1964

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Abstract

A technique is described by which thin film specimens can be prepared from a 0.002 to 0.006-in.-thick piece of metal very rapidly and with considerable improvement in handling facility. This technique has been successfully applied to aluminum, stainless steel, copper, Inconel X, nickel, and nickel-cobalt giving relatively large uniformly thinned areas. Application of a metallic mask and its effect on uniformity of electropolishing is discussed. Dependence of the degree of uniformity obtained in the thin foils during electropolishing upon (1) frontal area, and (2) thickness to frontal area ratio is suggested.