Enhancing image contrast of carbon nanotubes on cellular background using helium ion microscope by varying helium ion fluence

• DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12604
• Publication Date: 2017-07-13T12:12:15Z
• Authors: M.M. DYKAS; K. PODDAR; S.L. YOONG; V. VISWANATHAN; S. MATHEW; A. PATRA; S. SAHA; G. PASTORIN; T. VENKATESAN
• Keywords: Field ion microscope

Summary Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become an important nano entity for biomedical applications. Conventional methods of their imaging, often cannot be applied in biological samples due to inadequate spatial resolution or poor contrast between the CNTs and sample. Here we report a unique effective detection method, which uses differences conductivities carbon HeLa cells. The technique involves use helium ion microscope image sample with surface charging artefacts created by He + neutralised electron flood gun. This enables us obtain few nanometre images Cells high contrast, was achieved tailoring fluence. Charging can efficiently removed conductive low amount electrons, fluence is not adequate discharge cell surface, resulting contrast. Thus, this rapid any conducting structures on insulating cellular background even large fields view fine resolution. demonstrated has wider applications researchers seeking enhanced high‐resolution imaging matrix – commonly encountered issue importance drug delivery, tissue engineering toxicological studies.