MVLscope TRY THIS
LESSON 12 · ABOUT 15–20 MIN
Before the Image.
The Sample Preparation Lab
Did we reveal the feature,
remove it, or create it?
A metal specimen. Five discoveries. One question: is that pore real?
Preparing the investigation… The chapter outline and sources below remain available if it cannot load.
Original top · 0 µm59 µm
01 / The specimen
Section cutawayCONSTRUCTED METAL · µm SCALE
The section diagram works with or without 3D.
02 / The exposed face
Alternative outcomes from the same starting model. No processing time or pressure is predicted. The image is a geometric teaching illustration, not an acquired micrograph.
Light & fluorescence microscopy
Preserve: Preserve the structure or activity being studied.
Fixation, staining and mounting can alter appearance. Labels need specificity and background controls.
Explore LFM ↗SEM & elemental analysis
Preserve: Preserve the exposed surface and composition of interest.
Mounting and charge control matter. Coatings can obscure fine detail and contribute elements to a spectrum; coating is not required in every SEM mode.
Explore SEM / FIB ↗TEM & FIB sections
Preserve: Keep the target region in an electron-transparent specimen.
Thickness, section orientation and preparation damage affect interpretation. The thinnest possible specimen is not automatically the most representative.
Explore TEM ↗AFM & optical profilometry
Preserve: Preserve the surface height or roughness being measured.
Immobilisation and contamination matter. Polishing an original surface changes its topography: a polished cross-section answers a different question.
Explore AFM ↗ Explore profilometry ↗COMPARE HISTORIES
Keep the evidence together.
Records retain their depth, preparation and reference view. Change one thing at a time. Only equal-depth records sample the same plane.
Keep two outcomes above to compare them here.
Lesson outline & what to know first
No preparation experience is required. The foundations on interactions and choosing a method provide useful context. This lesson explains principles; follow your facility’s procedures for real specimens and instruments.
Two dark holes. The same story?
A hole can belong to the specimen—or appear when a particle is lost during preparation. Inspect the marked features before trusting the image. Preparation is part of the evidence, not a neutral step before it.
One specimen. Many possible sections.
Move the section plane. A feature can appear, grow and disappear as the plane passes through it. Choose a representative location and record its orientation; one attractive field can mislead.
What did preparation add—or remove?
Compare alternative outcomes at the same depth: retained particles, particle loss, residual scratches and smearing. A smoother-looking surface is not proof that all original features were preserved.
Reveal the history behind the hole.
Use the preparation history and original virtual structure to explain the difference. Then compare the records you kept. Report the preparation history and the uncertainty, alongside the image.
Ready for which measurement?
The right preparation protects the information you need. A route useful for a metal cross-section can destroy an original surface you wanted to measure. Preserve the quantity you intend to measure.
Model, limitations & sources
One synthetic 100 × 80 × 60 µm volume contains ellipsoidal pores and particles. The section slider computes exact ellipsoid–plane intersections. Field dimensions and the 20 µm scale bar share that coordinate system. Shading is illustrative and is not a detector-signal simulation.
Particle loss and smearing are specified preparation examples, not probability models. Scratches are schematic. The original-structure reveal is known simulation geometry, not an experimental reconstruction. Reported area fractions describe this one field and section; they are not estimates of bulk porosity or certified measurements.
Preparation may irreversibly alter a real specimen. Changing an example or section here explores a virtual replicate. Real techniques need material-specific methods, inspection and validation. Polishing is not a universal improvement for surface measurements.
CONTINUE INTO THE VIRTUAL LAB
From sample to micrograph.
Work through selecting, supporting, grinding, cleaning, polishing and inspecting one virtual metal specimen.
Enter Materials Preparation → Sample preparation home