New Generation of Silicon Nitride Support Films for TEM

Ted Pella, Inc., introduces a new generation of Silicon Nitride Support Films for electron microscopy imaging and analysis. These resilient, ultra-smooth low stress inorganic silicon nitride support films have been developed as an addition to the available range of TEM support films to enable specific nanotechnology and molecular biology research. They represent the next level in silicon nitride support films and offer remarkable advantages over the silicon nitride support films currently offered. The largest window size is now combined an only 50nm thin support film, EasyGrip™ edge and the range includes a special rectangular window for tomography applications.

Silicon nitride support films have the great advantages of being chemically and mechanically robust and are able to withstand temperature changes up to 1000° C. They are extremely stable and suitable to conduct a variety of nanotechnology experiments with particles or cells mounted directly on the support films. Greatly improved handling capabilities and smoothness of the EasyGrip™ edges are design advantages over other brands of silicon nitride support films. The PELCO^® Silicon Nitride Support Films are manufactured with a 3mm diameter structure compatible with TEM grids and are completely free from debris particles. The purpose designed packaging keeps the support films free form artifacts and contamination. The mechanical and chemical stability allow for cleaning of the silicon nitride support films with chemicals (solvents, acids and bases), glow discharge and plasma cleaning.

Examples of Application Fields

The PELCO^® Silicon Nitride Support Films are indispensable tools for virtually all fields of nanotechnology research. They enable direct deposition and in situ observations of dynamic reactions over a wide temperature range. Applications fields include but are not limited to:
• Cell biology: attached cells can be grown in their environment on the support film and subsequently analyzed
• Analysis of colloids, aerosols, nanoparticles
• Self-assembled mono-layers
• Polymer research
• Thin film research (directly deposited on the silicon nitride support film)
• Materials science
• Properties of nano-structures for semiconductor devices

	PELCO® Silicon Nitride Support Film with 1x1mm window. Note smooth edges and perfect round shape fully compatible with standard 3mm TEM grids. Inset shows the EasyGrip™ edges for improved handling capabilities.