hide
Free keywords:
-
Abstract:
This chapter takes a close look at the hardware side of transmission electron microscopy and, by extension, its applications in cryo-electron tomography. Before we throw ourselves into the fray, we are briefly soaking in some information on notable development milestones of the past. I firmly believe there is value in appreciating the historical context of electron microscopy to gain a better understanding of the many advances that were necessary to get us to where we are today. In the chapter’s main part, we will then learn how to “make” electrons and how to make use of them in imaging techniques. We will deal with electron lenses and how an electron microscope is designed to create a space for the electron beam to shape and interact with our sample. We will discover the various ways in which these interactions take place and how, through the principle of phase contrast, a “micrograph” is eventually recorded in the image plane—by ever more sophisticated detectors. As we acknowledge that our sample fries all too quickly, we l also discuss low dose techniques and phase plates. Finally, we provide a short outlook towards exciting developments that may well push cryo-electron tomography to the next level.
