Gatan, Inc.

Joseph S Jones

Peter R Swann

A specimen heating holder for side entry transmission electron microscopes is described. The holder permits specimen tilt about two orthogonal axes and has the capability of raising the specimen temperature to .about.1000.degree. C. A novel hinged electrical connection, resistant to fatigue, supplies, supplies power to a heater within the specimen cradle. Special low thermal conductivity cradle bearings minimize the required heater current and promote ease of assembly yet are sufficiently strong to make specimen loading easy.

Specimen heating holder for electron microscopes

An improved specimen cooling holder for transmission electron microscopy is described. Low thermal conductivity pins near the specimen and an improved conductor/dewar connection reduce specimen vibration, providing improved image resolution. Multiple heaters facilitate accurate temperature control and bakeout procedures.

Specimen cooling holder for side entry transmission electron microscopes

An improved electron microscope anticontaminator having a conduction rod enclosed within an independent vacuum system and micropositioning capability is described. The micropositioning facility allows the use of unusually small apertures in the cold anticontaminator block with a consequent improvement in efficiency of function. A self-contained contact sensor provides immediate audible warning of contact between a specimen holder and the cold anticontaminator block, permitting the removal of the usual mechanical end-stops for the specimen tilt mechanism and allowing the maximum specimen movement possible at any time. The independent vacuum system in combination with a heater positioned close to the anitcontaminator block allows the microscopist to vent the microscope column without removing the anticontaminator from the microscope. Special anticontaminator blocks incorporating multiple apertures or an X-ray collimator eliminate the need for separate microscope objective aperture or X-ray collimator mechanisms and also ease design constraints imposed by the very limited space around specimens in high resolution microscopes.

Anticontaminator for transmission electron microscopes

An electron microscope cryotransfer holder capable of simultaneously transferring several specimens is described. A cryo-shield protects the specimens from warming or frosting during the transfer from the specimen-loading workstation into the microscope.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Joseph S Jones