Science Lab

The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems offers scientific research and teaching material on the subjects of microscopy. The content is designed to support beginners, experienced practitioners and scientists alike in their everyday work and experiments. Explore interactive tutorials and application notes, discover the basics of microscopy as well as high-end technologies – become part of the Science Lab community and share your expertise!

EBSD grain size distribution of the cross section of a gold wire within a silicon matrix from inside a CPU (central processing unit of a computer). The grains are highlighted with arbitrary colors.

High-Quality EBSD Sample Preparation

This article describes a method for EBSD sample preparation of challenging materials. The high-quality samples required for electron backscatter diffraction are prepared with broad ion-beam milling.

Advancing Cellular Ultrastructure Research

Freeze-fracture and freeze-etching are useful tools for studying flexible membrane-associated structures such as tight junctions or the enteric glycocalyx. Freeze-fracture and etching are two…

Introduction to Ion Beam Etching with the EM TIC 3X

In this article you can learn how to optimize the preparation quality of your samples by using the ion beam etching method with the EM TIC 3X ion beam milling machine. A short introduction of the…

Visual and Chemical Analysis of Steel Microstructure: Faster Rating of Steel Quality

Simultaneous visual and chemical analysis of steel non-metallic inclusions with a 2-methods-in-1 solution, using optical microscopy and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), is described in…

Brief Introduction to Surface Metrology

This report briefly discusses several important metrology techniques and standard definitions commonly used to assess the topography of surfaces, also known as surface texture or surface finish. With…

Studying the Microstructure of Natural Polymers in Fine Detail

The potential of cryogenic broad ion beam milling used in combination with scanning electron microscopy (cryo-BIB-SEM) for imaging and analyzing the microstructure of cryogenically stabilized soft…

Expert Knowledge on High Pressure Freezing and Freeze Fracturing in the Cryo SEM Workflow

Get an insight in the working methods of the laboratory and learn about the advantages of Cryo SEM investigation in EM Sample Preparation. Find out how high pressure freezing, freeze fracturing and…

Array tomography image of T-cells in mouse lymph nodes.

High Resolution Array Tomography with Automated Serial Sectioning

The optimization of high resolution, 3-dimensional (3D), sub-cellular structure analysis with array tomography using an automated serial sectioning solution, achieving a high section density on the…

Macroscale to Nanoscale Pore Analysis of Shale and Carbonate Rocks

Physical porosity in rocks, like shale and carbonate, has a large effect on the their storage capacity. The pore geometries also affect their permeability. Imaging the visible pore space provides…