A Combination Calibration Grid for Transmission Electron Microscopes

1996:19:Few, Millette

Microscope, Vol 44: 175-179

Abstract:

To maintain high quality analysis results, transmission electron microscopes must be routinely checked and calibrated for magnification in the imaging mode and camera length in the diffraction mode. The X-ray analysis instrumentation must also be routinely checked for peak resolution (full width at half maximum for the manganese peak), the ability to resolve peaks of magnesium and silicon on single chrysotile fibrils, and the ability to resolve the sodium peak on a standard crocidolite spectrum. Usually this involves measuring the different parameters on as many as five different grids. This paper describes a single grid which can be used to accomplish all five calibration tests. The grid contains NIST-traceable chrysotile and crocidolite fibers as well as a grating replica for magnification calibration and particles of a manganese oxide mineral for X-ray peak resolution documentation. Half the grid is coated with a fine layer of gold for the diffraction mode camera length calibration.

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