A simple method for depositing thin films on the surface of transmission electron microscope specimens

Thin-film deposition on already thinned transmission electron microscope (TEM) samples is generally difficult as these samples are often small and fragile. To overcome this difficulty, we have developed a new method for depositing thin films of practically any material onto TEM samples using an ion-milling machine. This principle utilizes the fact that an ion-milling machine can be used not only for removal but also for deposition of materials. Fine-grained thin films were found to grow on TEM samples by this method.