Abstract: A filter is made from a special form of carbon, selected from the group of diamond-like carbon, pyrolitic carbon, glassy carbon and turbostratic carbon. The special carbon may be on a substrate, for example of polymeric material or a ceramic.

Abstract: Cell Culture apparatus provides a surface for cell culture, the surface being formed from the group of diamond-like carbon, pyrolytic carbon, glassy carbon and turbostratic carbon. The surface may be part of the container for the culture medium or the surface of microcarriers, such as beads of glass or polymers.

Abstract: Heretofore specimens have been thinned to penetration for examination by electron microscopy techniques, by ion erosion techniques. Such technique finds particular suitability to eroding materials made of glass, ceramics, and geological specimens which cannot be treated by chemical etchants. The present disclosure while acknowledging the advances which ion erosion techniques have made in this field, is concerned with a more rapid technique employing a beam or beams comprised solely of neutral particles. In tests carried out using this technique the sputtering rate from a sample specimen has been shown to be several percentages greater using a neutral source than from an ion source with the same flux density.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preparing a specimen for observation under the electron microscope by ion erosion. A saddle-field ion source is employed to irradiate the specimen with the specimen held in close proximity spacing with respect to the cathode aperture of the ion source. Such close proximity spacing ensures that the specimen is thinned at a rapid rate comparable with the rates attained with chemical etching.

Abstract: An ion source having an extremely high beam current density at low gas flow rates and therefore, low system pressures. The ion source includes an electrode system which consists of a cathode of, for example, spherical or cylindrical configuration which cathode encloses an anode having a pair of screen electrodes symmetrically disposed about and parallel to the plane of the anode, the anode and screen electrodes each having apertures formed therein. A gas inlet is formed in the cathode wall, preferably between the screen electrodes, and an ion beam outlet aperture of substantially the same size as the anode aperture is provided in the cathode. Upon application of suitable potentials to the anode, cathode and screen electrodes, the latter preferably being at a potential substantially equal to cathode potential, gas introduced through the gas supply inlet is ionised and the positive ions created are accelerated towards the cathode and emerge in a beam through the ion beam outlet aperture.