Particle size & shape
Measure individual nanoparticles directly from the images.
Useful forNanoparticles, quantum dots, colloidsMicroscopy & Imaging
TEM
Transmission Electron Microscopy
TEM passes a high-energy electron beam through an ultra-thin sample to image its internal structure. It shows nanoparticle size and shape, core–shell layers and crystal defects, and with EDX adds elemental composition.
3 test optionsSub-nanometre resolutionSamples thinner than ~100 nmTypical turnaround 7–10 working days
TEM measurement principleIllustrative
01 / Overview
What is TEM?
Transmission Electron Microscopy accelerates electrons, typically at 80–200 kV, and passes them through a sample thin enough to be electron-transparent. Magnetic lenses magnify the transmitted beam onto a screen or camera; thicker, denser or heavier regions scatter more electrons and appear darker.
Because the image is formed by electrons that pass through the sample, TEM shows what lies inside a particle — cores, shells, pores and defects — at far higher resolution than SEM. Powders are simply dispersed on a carbon-coated grid; bulk materials must be thinned first.
02 / How it works
How it works
- 01
Sample on a grid
Powders are dispersed in a solvent, dropped onto a carbon-coated copper grid and dried.
- 02
Beam passes through
In high vacuum, electrons pass through the thin sample; denser regions scatter more of them.
- 03
Lenses magnify
Objective and projector lenses magnify the transmitted beam many thousands of times.
- 04
Image is recorded
A camera records the magnified image as a bright-field micrograph with a scale bar.
03 / What it measures
What it measures
Internal structure
See core–shell layers, hollow particles and pores inside the sample.
Useful forCore–shell particles, capsules, porous materialsDispersion & agglomeration
Check whether particles sit apart or cluster together.
Useful forNanocomposites, suspensions, catalystsCrystallinity & defects
See grains, dislocations and, at high magnification, lattice fringes.
Useful forMetals, thin films, crystalline nanoparticlesElemental composition (EDX)
Identify the elements in a particle or region and their approximate amounts.
Useful forAlloys, doped and mixed nanoparticlesElemental maps
Show where each element sits across the imaged area.
Useful forCore–shell, dopant and segregation studies04 / Test options
Choose the TEM options you need
3 options · none added yet
05 / Sample requirements
Sample requirements
- Accepted forms
- Nanopowders, colloidal dispersions, ready-made grids or thin sections
- Quantity
- About 5–10 mg of powder or 1 mL of dispersion
- Thickness
- Under ~100 nm at the area imaged; bulk solids must be thinned first
- Dispersion
- Tell us a solvent the powder disperses in (e.g. ethanol, water)
- Condition
- Dry, vacuum-stable and stable under the electron beam where possible
- Dry powders in sealed, labelled vials
- Name a solvent the sample disperses in
- Declare magnetic or beam-sensitive samples
- No bulk pieces unless already thinned to under ~100 nm
- No samples that outgas or decompose in vacuum
Hazardous or air-sensitive samples: mention it in your request, and attach the MSDS if you have one.
06 / Results & turnaround
Results & turnaround
What you receive
- TEM micrographs at several magnifications, with scale bars
- Particle size measurements on request
- EDX spectra and composition tables (if selected)
- Elemental maps (if selected)
- Raw image files
- Report PDF
Turnaround & pricing
Typically 7–10 working days after samples reach the lab.
Price confirmed in your quotation, depending on user type, options and number of samples.
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