Low-temperature electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become an established technique for capturing and observing beam-sensitive samples in their close-to-natural state. Cryo-sectioning is a standard method used for thinning and slicing such samples. However, the integrity of the specimens can be easily degraded by common artifacts caused by knife marks, compression, or crevasses.
On the other hand, focused ion beam (FIB) nanofabrication is extensively used to reveal sub-surface information from bulk material, shape samples for other analytical modalities, or prepare ultra-thin specimens for analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Moreover, a combination of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) with nanomachining capabilities of FIB opens a wider range of possibilities. FIB-SEM systems are widely used not only for routine preparation of ultra-thin TEM specimens but also for their capability of precise cross-sectioning and/or 3D volume imaging, which are possible in both ambient temperatures as well as in cryogenic conditions.
The aim of the contribution is to demonstrate the feasibility of the cryo techniques (on-grid lamella and lift-out) and discuss the potential of TESCAN cryo-FIB-SEM as a reliable tool for routine cryo-TEM sample preparations, with an exceptional range of additional capabilities within a single versatile workstation.