Low-pressure chamber for scanning electron microscopy in a wet environment

摘要

A specimen enclosure assembly ( 100 ) for use in an electron microscope and including a rigid specimen enclosure dish ( 102 ) having an aperture ( 122 ) and defining an enclosed specimen placement volume ( 125 ), at electron beam permeable, fluid impermeable, cover ( 114 ) sealing the specimen placement volume ( 125 ) at the aperture ( 122 ) from a volume outside the enclosure and a pressure controller communicating with the enclosed specimen placement volume ( 125 ) and being operative to maintain the enclosed specimen placement volume ( 125 ) at a pressure, which exceeds a vapor pressure of a liquid sample ( 123 ) in the specimen placement volume ( 125 ) and is greater than a pressure of a volume outside the enclosure, whereby a pressure differential across the cover ( 114 ) does not exceed a threshold level at which rupture of the cover ( 114 ) would occur