The Hummingbird Scientific TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder protects air-sensitive materials during transfer from an inert atmosphere glovebox or preparation chamber to the TEM without atmospheric exposure. Available in dedicated configurations for conventional TEM/STEM imaging with 3 mm grids or in-situ MEMS heating and electrical biasing experiments, the platform enables characterization of highly reactive materials while preserving their original chemical and structural state. Designed for researchers in energy storage, catalysis, semiconductor devices, quantum materials, and materials science, it supports investigations of lithium and other alkali metals, solid-state batteries, metal hydrides, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), catalysts, and other reactive materials. By eliminating air exposure before analysis, researchers can obtain more representative structural, chemical, and analytical data while reducing artifacts caused by oxidation, hydration, and surface contamination. Hummingbird Advantages: - Protect air-sensitive samples during transfer from an inert atmosphere glovebox or sample preparation chamber to the TEM. - Support for both high-vacuum or inert-gas transfer workflows for diverse sample and experimental requirements. - Prevent sample oxidation, hydration, and surface contamination before TEM characterization. - Choose from dedicated sample holders for conventional 3 mm TEM grids or MEMS heating and electrical biasing chips. - Enable the characterization of battery materials, semiconductor devices, catalysts, and other air-sensitive materials in their native pristine states. - Choose the MEMS chip holder variant to perform thermal and electrical in-situ experiments using chips with up to 9 electrical contacts. High Vacuum Transfer: Yes / Yes Inert Gas Transfer: Yes / Yes Sample Substrate: MEMS chips / 3 mm TEM grid Number of Electrical Contacts: 9 / 0 Contact Type: Direct chip contact / N/A Settled Resolution: Up to TEM resolution / Up to TEM resolution High Temperature On-Chip Sample Heating: Yes / Yes EELS/EDS Compatible: Yes / Yes How it Works: The TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder integrates a sealed transfer mechanism with dedicated holder platforms for conventional 3 mm TEM grids or MEMS heating and electrical biasing chips. Samples are prepared inside an inert atmosphere glovebox before being mounted onto the appropriate substrate and loaded into the holder. The transfer tip is then sealed under either high vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere for transfer to the TEM. Once loaded, the holder seals the specimen under either high vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere, allowing it to be transferred to the TEM without exposure to oxygen or moisture. After the holder is inserted into the microscope, the sealed transfer tip is opened inside the TEM vacuum, preserving the specimen's pristine native state until characterization begins. The 3 mm grid holder supports conventional TEM/STEM imaging and compatible analytical techniques, while the MEMS holder enables controlled in-situ heating up to above 1000 °C and electrical biasing experiments on preserved specimens. Together, these dedicated holder platforms allow researchers to investigate highly reactive materials without compromising their initial state prior to imaging or controlled stimulation. Key Features and Capabilities: - Vacuum or Inert-Gas Transfer for Air-Sensitive TEM Specimens: Protect air-sensitive specimens during glovebox-to-TEM transfer using sealed high-vacuum or inert-gas environments. The TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder allows specimens mounted on a 3 mm TEM grid or MEMS chip (depending on the holder variant) to be installed onto the holder tip and sealed under either high vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere for protected transfer from the glovebox to the TEM. Once the holder is inserted into the microscope, the transfer tip is opened inside the TEM column vacuum, preserving the specimen's pristine condition for characterization. Benefits: › Protect specimens from oxygen, moisture, and atmospheric contamination during transfer › Choose high-vacuum or inert-gas transfer to match sample sensitivity and experimental requirements › Transfer specimens directly from inert atmosphere gloveboxes to the TEM - Choose Between 3 mm Grid and MEMS Chip Holder Variants: Dedicated holder variants support 3 mm TEM grids for routine characterization or MEMS chips for advanced in-situ heating and electrical biasing experiments. Hummingbird offers air-free transfer using two TEM platforms with distinct sample geometries. The MEMS chip version supports compatible biasing and heating workflows, while the 3 mm grid version supports protected transfer and imaging of conventional TEM specimens. Benefits: › Supports two sample geometries › Adapts to experiment type › Fits biasing or conventional imaging workflows - Nine Low-Noise Electrical Contacts (MEMS Variant): Perform low-noise in-situ electrical measurements using up to nine direct chip electrical contacts with individually shielded coaxial connections. The MEMS variant of the TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder supports up to nine low-noise electrical contacts, enabling reliable electrical connection to Hummingbird Scientific MEMS chips for advanced in-situ TEM experiments. The shielded, low-noise electrical architecture supports a wide range of heating, electrical biasing, and multi-contact device configurations while maintaining signal integrity during high-resolution imaging. This flexibility allows researchers to investigate complex devices, temperature-dependent electrical behavior, and operando material performance on air-sensitive specimens following protected transfer. Benefits: › Exceptional flexibility for simultaneous heating, electrical biasing, grounding, and multi-terminal device characterization › Minimized electrical noise for stable, high-fidelity electrical measurements › Simultaneous heating and electrical biasing without sacrificing measurement capability › Increase experimental versatility for semiconductors, batteries, and nanoelectronic devices - 60+ In-Stock TEM Heating and Biasing Chip Configurations (Chip Sample Substrate Variant): Keep experiments moving with in-stock MEMS chips for heating, electrical biasing, and advanced in-situ TEM characterization. Hummingbird Scientific microfabricates MEMS chips in-house and maintains standard Heating, Electrical Biasing, Heating + Biasing, and FIB lift-out configurations in stock for rapid delivery. Quality-controlled chips are clean packed and ready to use out of the box, with a broad selection of heater designs, electrode layouts, materials, and window geometries. The same MEMS chip platform is compatible across Hummingbird's TEM, SEM, and synchrotron X-ray heating and biasing systems, while custom MEMS chip designs support specialized applications and experimental workflows. Benefits: › 60+ standard TEM heating and biasing chip configurations in stock › Easy online ordering and 24-hour shipping to keep in-situ experiments moving › Cross-platform chips compatible across our TEM, SEM, and X-ray heating + biasing sample holders › Made-to-order custom chips for specialized heating and biasing TEM experiments also available - Integrated Heating (Chip Sample Substrate Variant): Optional add-on feature. Perform variable-temperature in-situ experiments on air-sensitive materials with integrated MEMS heating to >1000 °C. The MEMS variant of the TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder can be configured with integrated MEMS heating to enable controlled variable-temperature in-situ TEM experiments on air-sensitive materials. Closed-loop heating above 1000 °C is combined with concurrent electrical biasing and high-resolution TEM/STEM imaging, allowing researchers to investigate temperature-dependent material behavior, phase transformations, electrical transport, reaction mechanisms, and device performance from a pristine initial state. Benefits: › Achieve rapid temperature cycling for dynamic in-situ heating experiments › Improve temperature stability for reliable long-duration in-situ TEM experiments › Minimize heat transfer to the holder for improved image stability and microscope safety › Near-drift-free operation throughout the temperature range during high-resolution imaging FAQ highlights: The TEM Air-Free Transfer Sample Holder is a sealed transfer holder designed to protect air-sensitive materials during transfer from an inert atmosphere glovebox or controlled sample preparation environment to the TEM. Depending on the holder variant, samples are first mounted onto either a 3 mm TEM grid or a MEMS heating and electrical biasing chip. The prepared grid or MEMS chip is then installed onto the holder tip, which is then sealed under either high vacuum or an inert-gas atmosphere before transfer to the TEM. Once inserted into the TEM, the sealed tip is opened inside the microscope column vacuum, preserving the specimen's pristine native state for conventional TEM/STEM imaging, analytical characterization, or (in the MEMS chip sample holder variant) in-situ heating and electrical biasing experiments. Both variants support EDS and EELS. Customization and service available.
