Radio-frequency (rf) transmission systems, devices, and methods for in situ transmission electron microscopy

A method for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), comprising:

• mounting a specimen to a sample carrier, which comprises a dielectric substrate with a conductive layer that forms a coplanar waveguide configured to transmit an electrical signal to a specimen held by the sample carrier, the coplanar waveguide having a first lead formed by the conductive layer and a pair of second leads formed by the conductive layer, the first lead being between the second leads and spaced from the second leads by respective gaps;
• mounting the sample carrier to a TEM sample holder, which comprises a head portion, a back end portion, and a shaft portion between the head and back end portions, the sample carrier being disposed within a recess of the head portion;
• installing the TEM sample holder to a transmission electron microscope such that the sample carrier with specimen is disposed within a vacuum environment of the microscope;
• connecting a radio-frequency (RF) source to a connector of the TEM sample holder;
• and
• applying one or more electrical signals from the RF source to the specimen within the transmission electron microscope via the TEM sample holder and the sample carrier, each electrical signal having a frequency between 3 kHz and 300 GHz, inclusive.

A method for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), comprising:

• via a sample carrier, applying one or more electrical signals from a radio-frequency (RF) source to a specimen within a vacuum chamber of a transmission electron microscope;
• and
• at a same time or in response to the applying the one or more electrical signals, irradiating the specimen with an electron beam and detecting the electron beam after passing through the specimen,
• wherein each electrical signal has a frequency between 3 kHz and 300 GHz, inclusive,
• the sample carrier comprises a dielectric substrate with a conductive layer that forms multiple coplanar waveguides for transmitting the one or more electrical signals to the specimen, and
• the coplanar waveguides comprise multiple first leads and second leads formed from the conductive layer, each first lead being between and spaced from a pair of adjacent second leads by respective gaps.