Coated Grids and Custom Coating Service from SPI

400 mesh, regular, square

Be sure to request either the µ-center mark or the >< center mark. If no pattern is selected, the default pattern will be the one with the µ-center mark. The filmed coatings will be as described, but note that what we have described as "Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂)/Monoxide (SiO)" is the result of an evaporation of SiO (silicon monoxide) at high vacuum and the end result is generally thought to be a combination of SiO₂ and SiO. In any case, for nearly all users of this product, what seems to be important is not knowing the precise composition, but knowing that in a plasma etcher, oxygen will not etch or otherwise harm the film.

The case for molybdenum grids:
These grids are used primarily for those doing high temperature studies, which would mean that any polymer, such as Formvar^®, would be degraded during the heating. Actually, SPI Supplies features the world's largest and most diverse selection of different molybednum TEM grids, so if you would prefer some other pattern, it too probably could be coated, and either for the same price or just slightly more. Just tell us what you want and we will return with a confirmation of pricing!

Please note:
For high temperature studies, the SPI Supplies^® Brand of Silicon Nitride Membrane Window Grids might be a better choice since one can do in situ heating experiments beyond 1000 C without the membrane rupturing.

Allred™ substrates:
These represent a class of grid based products that, which they are in essence, "support films", they are really more than support films, since they are designed for one to do certain types of "processing", resulting in a final "composite" that is sufficiently electron transparent so that it can be characterized by TEM without further sample preparation. The films are also sufficiently rigid so that one can also do FESEM and under some circumstances, SPM as well.

These coated grids are made using a new (patent pending) technology which permits a very large number of grids to be made at the same time, which offers the advantage of greater grid-to-grid reproducibility than would otherwise be possible. These films retain tension after production, are under a constant state of tension, and therefore experience far less grid "sag" at the center. The films are made to be highly electron transparent and are especially attractive to those researchers who are wanting to do processing on surfaces, and yet be freed from the burden of expensive and time consuming sample preparation protocols. The films are also made to be as thin as possible and also, to exhibit a very minimum of residual grain structure.

Titanium dioxide: These films are of an as yet to be precisely defined stoichiometry but we believe they are substantially titanium dioxide. We believe these films to be useful to enough researchers that we did not want to delay our introduction of this unique and novel product. At the present time, grids with this particular support film are available in only 400 mesh copper grids but underlying grids of other mesh sizes are available upon request. The titanium dioxide coated grids are approximately 5 nm in thickness and are highly electron transparent.

Precious Metals:
These films are of pure metal and are made using the new proprietary techniques described above. Again, these are not so much for TEM support films as they are to be substrates on which processing can be done, with the resulting sample being able to be examined by TEM without further sample preparation. Electrochemists in general, find these grids to be very very useful since the metal surface acts as an inert electrode. The thickness of the Allred™ precious metal substrates is approximately 2 nm.

Perforated support films:
We do offer not only holey carbon and lacey carbon coated grids, we also offer them as carbon/Formvar holey and carbon/Formvar lacey and for some applications, the latter are the more desirable. Of course if samples are being deposited from solvents, which could dissolve the Formvar, the grids with Formvar would not be recommended.

There are other options for perforated support systems. Many users worldwide, especially for electron tomography applications prefer the Quantifoil^® Micromachined Holey Carbon Grids which offer certain advantages.

The newest option is the use of the SPI Supplies^® Brand Perforated Silicon Nitride Membrane Window Grids. There might be some "sticker shock" here, as these grids are much more expensive than the more conventional grids, but they do permit certain types of work that can be done better (or not at all) some other way. For example, for cryo TEM studies on liquids, these grids are beyond compare. They are also the ultimate support grid for FIB lift-off samples. These are the only grids that one can perform, on the very same field of observation, AFM, FESEM and also TEM.

400 mesh regular

Grid Type	Coating	SPI #	Each, pack	In Stock
Formvar^® Only
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3340C-CF	43.07	No
	Pkg/50	3340C-FA	74.98	No
	Pkg/100	3340C-MB	141.42	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3340N-CF	43.07	No
	Pkg/50	3340N-FA	74.98	No
	Pkg/100	3340N-MB	141.42	No
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3340G-CF	67.18	No
	Pkg/50	3340G-FA	121.03	No
	Pkg/100	3340G-MB	231.80	No


Formvar^®/Carbon Reinforced
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3440C-CF	45.23	No
	Pkg/50	3440C-FA	80.97	No
	Pkg/100	3440C-MB	148.50	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3440N-CF	45.23	No
	Pkg/50	3440N-FA	80.97	No
	Pkg/100	3440N-MB	148.50	No
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3440G-CF	69.80	No
	Pkg/50	3440G-FA	128.23	No
	Pkg/100	3440G-MB	240.31	No


Carbon only
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3540C-CF	62.13	No
	Pkg/50	3540C-FA	113.97	Yes
	Pkg/100	3540C-MB	216.38	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3540N-CF	62.13	No
	Pkg/50	3540N-FA	113.97	No
	Pkg/100	3540N-MB	216.38	Yes
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3540G-CF	90.08	No
	Pkg/50	3540G-FA	167.80	No
	Pkg/100	3540G-MB	321.76	Yes


Holey Carbon
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3640C-CF	65.24	No
	Pkg/50	3640C-FA	119.67	No
	Pkg/100	3640C-MB	227.20	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3640N-CF	65.24	No
	Pkg/50	3640N-FA	119.67	No
	Pkg/100	3640N-MB	227.20	No
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3640G-CF	94.58	No
	Pkg/50	3640G-FA	176.19	No
	Pkg/100	3640G-MB	337.85	No


Holey Formvar, Carbon Coated

	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	4077C-CF	62.13	No
	Pkg/50	4077C-FA	113.97	No
	Pkg/100	4077C-MB	216.38	No

	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	4077N-CF	62.13	No
	Pkg/50	4077N-FA	113.97	No
	Pkg/100	4077N-MB	216.38	No

	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	4077G-CF	90.08	No
	Pkg/50	4077G-FA	167.80	No
	Pkg/100	4077G-MB	321.76	No

	Molybdenum grids
	Pkg/25	4077M-CF	458.37	No
	Pkg/50	4077M-FA	856.77	No
	Pkg/100	4077M-MB	1644.98	No


Lacey Carbon
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3840C-CF	74.49	No
	Pkg/50	3840C-FA	136.92	No
	Pkg/100	3840C-MB	258.26	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3840N-CF	74.49	No
	Pkg/50	3840N-FA	136.92	No
	Pkg/100	3840N-MB	258.26	No
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3840G-CF	104.97	No
	Pkg/50	3840G-FA	195.41	No
	Pkg/100	3840G-MB	372.03	No


Holey Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) /Monoxide (SiO)
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	4064C-CF	74.56	No
	Pkg/50	4064C-FA	136.73	No
	Pkg/100	4064C-MB	259.64	No

	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	4064N-CF	89.52	No
	Pkg/50	4064N-FA	164.08	No
	Pkg/100	4064N-MB	311.63	Yes
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	4064G-CF	104.97	No
	Pkg/50	4064G-FA	195.41	No
	Pkg/100	4064G-MB	372.03	No


Lacey Formvar, Carbon Coated
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	4059C-CF	74.49	No
	Pkg/50	4059C-FA	136.92	No
	Pkg/100	4059C-MB	258.26	No

	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	4059N-CF	74.49	No
	Pkg/50	4059N-FA	136.92	No
	Pkg/100	4059N-MB	258.26	No

	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	4059G-CF	104.97	No
	Pkg/50	4059G-FA	195.41	No
	Pkg/100	4059G-MB	372.03	No


Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) /Monoxide (SiO)
	Copper grids
	Pkg/25	3740C-CF	62.13	No
	Pkg/50	3740C-FA	113.97	No
	Pkg/100	3740C-MB	216.38	No
	Nickel grids
	Pkg/25	3740N-CF	74.60	No
	Pkg/50	3740N-FA	136.73	No
	Pkg/100	3740N-MB	259.68	No
	Gold grids
	Pkg/25	3740G-CF	90.08	No
	Pkg/50	3740G-FA	167.80	No
	Pkg/100	3740G-MB	321.76	No

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Coated Grids and Custom Coating Service from SPI

400 mesh regular

Formvar® Only

Formvar®/Carbon Reinforced

Carbon only

Holey Carbon

Holey Formvar, Carbon Coated

Lacey Carbon

Holey Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) /Monoxide (SiO)

Lacey Formvar, Carbon Coated

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) /Monoxide (SiO)

Formvar^® Only

Formvar^®/Carbon Reinforced

Holey Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) /Monoxide (SiO)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) /Monoxide (SiO)