Selection of Preparation Techniques Based on Material Problems and TEM Analyses - Sample Preparation Topic for Transmission Electron Microscopy - page 187

Fig. 7.2 Three-dimensional
material and the 2D
projection of the thin slice in
the TEM observed in
diffraction and HRTEM
modes

Single-Crystal Material
in 3D Space

Thin Slice of the Sample
in the TEM

Diffraction
Pattern 2D

Projected 2D
HRTEM Image

Table 7.5 Possible cutting directions and sections based on the nature of the material

Bulk material without preferential
orientation in the block of material

Massive textured bulk material with
preferential orientations

Any cut in the volume of the
self-supporting bulk material
Cut in any direction

Longitudinal plane cut parallel to the
preferential orientation or the substrate
Cross section: perpendicular to the
preferential direction or to the substrate
Particular cut based on orientation
Any direction

Thin layer or multilayer material Fine particles

Longitudinal plane cut parallel to the layer
Longitudinal plane cut parallel to the
substrate
Cross section: perpendicular to the
preferential direction of the layers or to
the substrate-film interface

Longitudinal plane parallel to the
preferential orientation of the particles
Cross section: perpendicular to the
preferential direction of the particles
Any cut of the particles
Random cut of the particles

9.1 Microstructure Geometry

A monocrystalline material (single crystal and thin film) can be observed based
on certain crystallographic directions, i.e., directions that are either related to the
growing direction, determined beforehand by the orientation of the material itself,
or are based on certain particular atomic planes with known orientation. In these
cases, a longitudinal plane, cross section, or particular orientation can be selected.