In Situ TEM Liquid + Heating or Biasing – Stream

Nano-Cell

Stream’s patented Nano-Cell innovates over the previous generation of in situ liquid holders that rely on diffusion-controlled “bathtub” designs. A combination of a dual-chip MEMS assembly with a spacer creates a microfluidic channel with an electron-transparent window encapsulating the viewing area. This is the only system giving the microscopist full control over the liquid-sample interaction.

• Mass transport control
  By varying inlet and outlet pressures, the user can precisely determine when liquid will be introduced and removed from the region of interest. Additionally, the liquid thickness can be minimized via flow control making it possible to collect high quality TEM data.
• Reduce electron beam effects and radiolysis
  One of the biggest concerns for life science applications is the harmful impact of water radiolysis on biological specimens. With optional graphene window layers, free radical species are scavenging thus minimizing beam damage to sensitive material
• Reduced setup time
  Older generation in situ liquid holders, like DENSsolutions Ocean, employ syringe pumps and rely on diffusion for liquid to reach the viewing area meaning it can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to start an LPEM experiment. With Stream, the combination of the Nano-Cell and Liquid Supply System enables rapid liquid transport to the viewing area on the order of tens of seconds.

Stream Nano-Cell Specifications

	Liquid Heating	Liquid Biasing
Nano-Cell
Resolution	≤ 3 Å
Liquid thickness control	Yes, via inlet and outlet liquid pressure control
Liquid modes	Static or Flow (infusion, withdrawal)
Liquid flow measurement	Yes, via inlet flow meter
Liquid pressure safety limit	Yes
Temperature range	RT to ≤ 100°C	NA
Electrodes	4-point probe based microheater	3
Voltage range	NA	-10 V to +10V
Current range	NA	From pA to mA
AC impedance frequency range	NA	10 uHz to 1 MHz
System	JEOL	ThermoFisher Scientific (FEI)
Fluidic Control	Integrated pressure-based pumps (Liquid Supply System)
Modular holder design	Yes
Modes	TEM, STEM, EDS, EELS, electron diffraction
Alpha tilt range	Up to ± 21° depending on polepiece	Up to ± 35° depending on polepiece

Liquid Supply System (LSS)

The LSS contains everything needed to control in situ experiments with unmatched flexibility. Designed for ease-of-use, repeatability, and maximum versatility, the LSS greatly simplifies complex in situ TEM experiments to maximize valuable time at the microscope.

• Ease of use
  A flexible arm can situate comfortably within TEM workstations while the mobile base enables easy relocation and storage.
• Inert gas purging
  With the added capability of inert gas purging, excess liquid can be quickly removed allowing high resolution images, diffraction patterns, and EELS/EDS spectra to be acquired.
• Reliable and reproducible results
  Actively measure liquid flow via the liquid flow meter, enabling results to be compared across experiments.

Modular Sample Holder

The sample holder is the platform that connects the Liquid Supply System to the Nano-Cell. Machined with the highest precision fabrication techniques, the sample holder fits perfectly into the TEM’s goniometer and maintains mechanical stability and ultra-vacuum performance during use.

• Modular design
  A removable and modular sample holder tip makes for easy assembly, cleaning, and replacement of components. This not only ensures clean experiments and eliminates cross-contamination but makes training and maintenance much easier to manage.
• Replaceable tubing material
  The tubing within the holder can be easily removed for cleaning and reinserted within minutes – ensuring a clean experiment every time. In cases where flushing the tubing is not effective, a fresh set of tubing can also be replaced.
• Upgradable
  Simply by replacing the bottom chip of the Nano-Cell with a different MEMS configuration, Stream can be upgraded to enable Liquid + Biasing or Liquid + Heating functionality.