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wood prints insects wood prints sputter coating wood prints plasma wood prints specimen preparation wood prints microchip wood prints sem wood prints insect wood prints science wood prints scientific wood prints technique wood prints techniques wood prints technology wood prints microscopic wood prints electron microscopy wood prints microscope wood prints

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Specimen preparation. Two insects being coated with gold prior to analysis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The coating is to improve their electrical conductivity and their ability to reflect electrons and hence provide clear images. The layer of gold (5-10 nanometres thick) is deposited by a process called sputter coating. A plate (upper centre) of pure gold is positioned above the microchip within a vacuum chamber containing argon gas. An applied voltage causes ionisation of the argon with subsequent ionisation of some of the gold atoms. Gold ions stream down onto the specimen to form a uniform layer. The ion plasma causes the bright glow.

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