Transmission Electron

Microscopy

Group Members:

Hammad Masood (ME 076)
Sajid Ali Sheikh (ME 082)
Syed Abdul Rehman (ME 109)
Mirza Salaar Ahmed (ME 115)
What is TEM?
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a
microscopy technique whereby a beam of
electron is transmitted through an ultra thin
specimen, interacting with the specimen as it
passes through.
An image is formed from the interaction of the
electrons transmitted through the specimen.
The image is magnified and focused onto and
imaging device, such as a fluorescent screen,
on a layer of photographic film.

TEMs are capable of imaging
at a significantly higher
resolution than light
microscopes. This enables
the instrument's user to
examine fine detaileven as
small as a single column of
atoms, which is tens of
thousands times smaller than
the smallest resolvable
object in a light microscope.
TEMs find application in
cancer research, virology,
materials science as well as
pollution, nanotechnology,
and semiconductor research.

Working Principle
TEM works like a slide projector. A projector
shines a beam of light which transmits
through the slide. The pattern painted on the
slide only allows certain parts of the light
beam to pass through. Thus the transmitted
beam replicates the patterns on the slide,
forming an enlarged image of the slide when
falling on the screen.

TEM works the same way except that they
shine a beam of electron (like the light in a
slide projector) through the specimen (like the
slide).
However, in TEM, the transmission of electron
beam is highly dependent on the properties of
material being examined. Such properties
include density, composition, etc.
Advantages
TEMs offer the most powerful magnification,
potentially over one million times or more.
TEMs have a wide-range of applications and
can be utilized in a variety of different
scientific, educational and industrial fields.
TEMs provide information on element and
compound structure.
Images are high-quality and detailed.
They are easy to operate with proper training.
Disadvantages
TEMs are large and very expensive.
Laborious sample preparation.
Operation and analysis requires special training.
Samples are limited to those that are electron
transparent; able to tolerate the vacuum chamber
and small enough to fit in the chamber.
TEMs require special housing and maintenance.
Electron microscopes are sensitive to vibration and
electromagnetic fields and must be housed in an
area that isolates them from possible exposure.
Applications
A Transmission Electron Microscope is ideal for a
number of different fields such as life sciences,
nanotechnology, medical, biological and material
research, forensic analysis, gemology and
metallurgy as well as industry and education.
TEMs provide topographical, morphological,
compositional and crystalline information.
The images allow researchers to view samples on a
molecular level, making it possible to analyze
structure and texture. This information is useful in
the study of crystals and metals, but also has
industrial applications.

Transmission Electron
Microscopic Studies of
Deformed High-Palladium
Dental Alloys
CASE STUDY
Objective
The purpose of this study was to employ
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to
investigate the microstructures of PdCuGa and
PdGa dental alloys that had been permanently
deformed, in order to obtain information about
the deformation behavior of individual phases
and changes in microstructure brought about by
that deformation.
The High-Palladium Alloy
The commercially successful high-palladium
dental alloys, generally contain more than
75% by weight palladium.
These alloys have been extensively used for
metalceramic restorations and implant-
supported prostheses.
Recent clinical selection of these alloys has
diminished because of the price volatility of
palladium.
Characteristics
High Corrosion Resistance.
Good adherence to dental porcelain.
Liberty (PdCuGa) has relatively high yield
strength and hardness than Protocol (PdGa)
making it harder to polish and adjusting the
cast.
Mechanical Properties of the Two
High-Palladium Alloys in the as-cast
Condition
Alloy 0.1% Yield Strength (MPa) Elastic Modulus (GPa)
Percentage
Elongation (%)
Liberty 820 330 6
Protocol 530 250 35
The above values were obtained by
performing experiments on high-palladium
alloys in the as-cast condition that had not
been mechanically deformed.
The objective of this investigation was to
employ TEM to examine the microstructures
of PdCuGa and PdGa alloys after
substantial plastic deformation, in order to
gain insight into the fundamental
strengthening mechanisms.
MATERIAL USED
The Liberty Pd-Cu-Ga alloy, with a nominal
composition of 76Pd-10Cu-5.5Ga-6Sn-2Au,
and the Protocol Pd-Ga alloy, with a nominal
composition of 75Pd-6Ga-6In-6Au-6.5Ag, were
selected for this investigation. Both alloys
have been studied previously in the
laboratory. These alloys have equiaxed fine-
grained microstructures .

METHOD
Using polystyrene patterns that met
dimensional requirements for American
Dental Association (ANSI/ADA) specification
no.5, tensile specimen were cast by standard
dental laboratory techniques.
After loading to failure (overall permanent
elongation at fracture for the test specimens
of approximately 6% for Liberty and 35% for
Protocol).
One portion of a fractured specimen from
each alloy in the as-cast condition was
prepared for TEM examination.
Preparation first involved using a water cooled
diamond saw to cut pieces about 0.5-0.8mm
thick from the necked region of more localized
permanent deformation near the fracture
surface of each specimen.
Followed by conventional metallographic
grinding and polishing and then argon ion
milling to obtain foils suitable for TEM
examination.
Before TEM observation, the foils were
plasma-cleaned to remove any possible
contamination and surface artifacts caused by
ion milling.
Several foils were prepared from each alloy.
Composition measurements were performed
with a standard less energy-dispersive X-ray
spectrometer (EDS) system.
Beam spot size can be set as small as 5nm to
determine the compositions of the ruthenium
particles and precipitates.
Students t-test was used to compare phase
compositions and lattice parameters for
multiple measurements on given
microstructural constituents.
Observation
The characteristic tweed structure in deformed
high-palladium alloys was observed in this study.
The figure shows a micrograph with ne-scale
tweed structure of the liberty alloy.
The deformed Protocol alloy specimen also
exhibited a tweed structure which was found
to be same as that in the deformed Liberty
specimen.


The Liberty and Protocol alloys are shown,
electron diffraction indicates that this phase is
face-centered cubic (FCC).
Dislocations and a portion of a tweed band can
be seen in the gure.
Some dislocations appear as a well-dened,
closely spaced array forming a low-angle grain
boundary.
Since the palladium solid solution in the Liberty
and Protocol alloys has the FCC structure
therefore there are substantial numbers of
dislocations in these phases in the deformed
alloys.
Conclusion
The present investigation has also established
that permanent deformation within the tweed
structure occurs by twinning.