Achieve Reproducible TEM Sample Preparation Using Automated Final Polishing Workflows 

Why Manual TEM Sample Preparation Fails to Deliver Reproducible Results

Preparing TEM lamellae with manual FIB-SEM workflows often yields inconsistent results. Operator skill influences thickness, surface finish, and amorphous damage, making reproducible TEM sample preparation difficult.

These inconsistencies compromise data quality and reduce confidence in comparative studies.

Polishing errors, drift, and alignment issues add further variability. For applications requiring statistical robustness, such as quality control or advanced materials research, this lowers the reliability of TEM analysis and slows throughput when many lamellae are needed.

Tescan addresses these issues with automated final polishing workflows built for reproducible TEM sample preparation.

• Automated thinning ensures uniform lamella thickness independent of operator skill
• Low kV polishing minimizes amorphous surface layers for clearer TEM imaging
• Drift correction and fiducial alignment maintain accuracy throughout preparation
• Stored recipes standardize workflows across different users and laboratories

With Tescan AutoSlicer™ and TEM AutoPrep™, researchers and engineers can consistently prepare high-quality TEM lamellae that enable statistically reliable analysis and efficient high-throughput workflows.

How TEM Lamellae Were Prepared Using Tescan Automated Final Polishing

Titanium alloy samples were chosen to demonstrate reproducible TEM sample preparation. Regions of interest were identified in the FIB-SEM using high-resolution SEM imaging to precisely target sites for thinning.

Final preparation was carried out with TEM AutoPrep™, which automated in-trench thinning, lift-out, and final polishing. Recipe-driven steps ensured repeatability, while drift correction and fiducial alignment maintained accuracy during polishing. Automated low kV steps minimized amorphous surface layers and preserved crystal detail for TEM analysis.

This workflow produced consistent lamella thickness across multiple specimens. By removing operator variability, it enabled reproducible TEM sample preparation and provided reliable datasets for statistical analysis of material properties.

Automated Final Polishing Delivers Consistent TEM Lamellae with Preserved Crystal Integrity

Tescan’s automated workflows enabled reproducible TEM sample preparation with consistent lamella thickness across multiple titanium alloy specimens. Automated final polishing maintained uniformity and minimized amorphous damage, ensuring high-quality lamellae suitable for advanced TEM and STEM analysis.

STEM imaging confirmed well-prepared lamellae with clear structural detail and minimal variability between samples. Automated low kV polishing preserved crystal integrity, while drift correction and fiducial alignment supported accurate and repeatable results.

The workflow reduced operator influence and delivered reproducible TEM sample preparation that supports statistical robustness in materials analysis. Researchers and engineers can now generate consistent datasets with greater efficiency, improving both reliability and throughput in TEM-based studies.