An Aluminum-Beryllium Alloy for Substrate and Replica Preparations in Electron Microscopy

Abstract

A technique of specimen preparation especially suited to the study of polymeric molecules and aggregates is presented. With slight modifications it is applicable to the preparation of replicas of a wide variety of surfaces where the action of heat, pressure, and solvents must be minimized. The method owes its superiority to the use of an aluminum‐beryllium alloy of high strength, low scattering power and nearly amorphous structure. A layer of evaporated hydrophilic material facilitates the separation of the metal film from the mounting surface. Micrographs are presented showing certain applications of the method.