Hi , I want to characterize the cross-section of the Cu foil by SEM to determine the thickness of the oxide layer. I don't know how to cut the foil without damage the cross-section. I used scissor but the cross-section was uneven.The thickness of the copper foil is 200 μm.
thank you for reading!
Don't use a scissor because it breaks the layer and damages the substrate. Instead, use a sharp needle or cutter. Make a tiny "X" mark over the substrate. Now scan along the X mark under FE-SEM, you will get to see the oxide layer which came out due to incision with sharp object, and measure its thickness easily.
You can make a cold mounting with the copper foil standing perpendicular to its face. Grind it, polish it like we do for any other sample and go for SEM. It would be better if the cold setting compound is conductive otherwise you have to give a conductive path (or coating).
Glue together two pieces of your foil, oxide layer to oxide layer (put them under some pressure to minimize a gap between pieces). Embed them vertically, make metallographic specimen of cross sections, observe.
I would recommend to perform Broad Ion Beam Milling (BIB) to get a very nice clean cross section and be able to clearly see and analyze the surface oxide layer.
just put two or three pieces of Cu foil together use some binder to attach them , then bu using the machine you can cut it easily and can see the cross-section area easily....
FIB will be the best way to prepare a sample of a thin layer for characterization. Most mechanical methods can distort the thin layer and provide erroneous characterization results.
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