Abstract
We have designed and fabricated a standardized specimen holder that allows the operation of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The details of the design and fabrication processes of the holder are presented. The sample loading mechanism is simple and allows reliable electrical contact to eight signal lines on the device. Using a MEMS-based, nanojoule calorimeter, we performed rapid-heating experiments on Bi nanoparticles to demonstrate the functionality of the holder. We show that the heat capacity can be measured simultaneously with TEM observations. The size-dependent melting of Bi nanoparticles was observed simultaneously by nanocalorimetry and selected area diffraction measurements. We believe this approach will open up new experimental pathways to researchers, combining the speed and resolution of transmission electron microscopy with the flexibility, precision, and compactness of MEMS-based sensors and actuators.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M.A. Haque and M.T.A. Saif: In-situ tensile testing of nano-scale specimens in SEM and TEM. Exp. Mech. 42, 123 (2002).
F.M. Ross: Growth processes and phase transformations studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy. IBM J. Res. Develop. 44, 489 (2000).
S. Wernick, and R. Pinner: The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys (Robert Draper, Teddington, U.K., 1964).
T.L. Morkved, W.A. Lopes, J. Hahm, S.J. Sibener, and H.M. Jaeger: Silicon nitride membrane substrates for the investigation of local structure in polymer thin films. Polymer 39, 3871 (1998).
M. Zhang, M.Y. Efremov, F. Schiettekatte, E.A. Olson, A.T. Kwan, S.L. Lai, T. Wisleder, J.E. Greene, and L.H. Allen: Size-dependent melting point depression of nanostructures: Nanocalorimetric measurements. Phys. Rev. B 62, 10548 (2000).
E.A. Olson, M.Y. Efremov, M. Zhang, Z.S. Zhang, and L.H. Allen: The design and operation of a MEMS differential scanning nanocalorimeter for high-speed heat-capacity measurements of ultrathin films. J. Microelectromech. Syst. 12, 355 (2003).
M.Y. Efremov, E.A. Olson, M. Zhang, S. Lai, F. Schiettekatte, Z.S. Zhang, and L.H. Allen: Thin-film MEMS differential scanning nanocalorimetry: Heat capacity analysis. Thermochim. Acta 412, 13 (2004).
P. Buffat and J.P. Borel: Size effect on the melting temperature of gold particles. Phys. Rev. A. 13, 2287 (1976).
M.Y. Efremov, E.A. Olson, M. Zhang, Z.S. Zhang, and L.H. Allen: Glass transition in ultrathin polymer films: Calorimetric study. Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 085703 (2003).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This author was an editor of this focus issue during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/publications/jmr/policy.html.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, M., Olson, E.A., Twesten, R.D. et al. In situ transmission electron microscopy studies enabled by microelectromechanical system technology. Journal of Materials Research 20, 1802–1807 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2005.0225
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2005.0225