Transmission electron microscopy of fluorapatite-gelatine composite particles prepared using focused ion beam milling

Authors: VOLKERT, C. A.; BUSCH, S.¹; HEILAND, B.²; DEHM, G.²

Source: Journal of Microscopy, Volume 214, Number 3, June 2004 , pp. 208-212(5)

Buy & download fulltext article:

You have access to the full text article on a website external to ingentaconnect.

Please click here to view this article on Wiley Online Library.

You may be required to register and activate access on Wiley Online Library before you can obtain the full text. If you have any queries please visit Wiley Online Library

Abstract:

Summary

In this paper, synthetic fluorapatite-gelatine composite particles are prepared for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies using two methods based on focused ion beam (FIB) milling. TEM studies on the FIB-prepared specimens are compared with TEM observations on samples prepared using an ultramicrotome. The results show that ultramicrotome slicing causes significant cracking of the apatite, whereas the ion beam can be used to make high-quality, crack-free specimens with no apparent ion beam-induced damage. The TEM observations on the FIB-prepared samples confirm that the fluorapatite composite particles are composed of elongated, preferentially orientated grains and reveal that the grain boundaries contain many small interstices filled with an amorphous phase.

Keywords: Apatite; FIB; focused ion beam milling; TEM sample preparation; tooth enamel; ultramicrotomy

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-2720.2004.01352.x

Affiliations: 1: Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe, 01187 Dresden, Germany 2: Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Publication date: 2004-06-01