Spin ‐coated epoxy resin embedding technique enables facile SEM/FIB thickness determination of porous metal oxide ultra‐thin films

In this study we demonstrate that by spin coating a thin layer of epoxy resin on top of the FeOx layer it is possible to create a thin homogenous layer that has an even thickness throughout the sample. The resin layer provides stability to the porous FeOx film, which would otherwise be damaged by the milling action of the focused ion beam, and provides a low‐density layer that can connect the sample to ground using a layer of Iridium metal thus facilitating the dissipation of the electric charge imposed by the electron beam on the sample. This layer was applied without affecting the underlying FeOx and can be rapidly applied. When imaging with the scanning electron microscope the lower density of the resin made identifying different layers in the FIB cross section much easier by differences by contrast, thereby aiding in the thickness quantification of the FeOx using conventional image processing techniques. Therefore, the spin coating resin technique is a high throughput method that can be used for effectively quantifying the thickness of porous nonconductive thin films.
Source: Journal of Microscopy - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research