Investigation of the milling characteristics of different focused-ion-beam sources assessed by three-dimensional electron diffraction from crystal lamellae.

ABSTRACT: Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3DED) from nanocrystals of biological macromolecules requires the use of very small crystals. These are typically less than 300 nm-thick in the direction of the electron beam due to the strong interaction between electrons and matter. In recent years, focused-ion-beam (FIB) milling has been used in the preparation of thin samples for 3DED. These instruments typically use a gallium liquid metal ion source. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources in principle offer faster milling rates. Little work has been done to quantify the damage these sources cause to delicate biological samples at cryogenic temperatures. Here, an analysis of the effect that milling with plasma FIB (pFIB) instrumentation has on lysozyme crystals is presented. This work evaluates

SUBMITTER: Parkhurst JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10161776 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature