Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) thin-film windows are indispensable tools for nanoscale characterization, providing a stable TEM observation environment for liquid, gas, or soft-matter samples while protecting them from electron-beam damage and contamination. This article analyzes their specific application scenarios and technical advantages in detail.

In this study, silicon nitride thin films(developed by YW MEMS (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.) were employed as TEM supportsfor characterization. The catalyst powder was dispersed in anhydrous ethanol to form an ink, which was then drop-cast onto the silicon nitride film for TEM, STEM, and EDS analysis.Construction of a Strongly Coupled Heterostructure for Enhanced Catalysis

Silicon nitride (SiₓNᵧ)thin films play a critical window role in semiconductor manufacturingand analysis, leveraging their unique physical and chemical properties—including high compactness, excellent chemical stability, favorable optical performance, and process compatibility—to enable isolation, protection, signal transmission, or analysis observation. Below is a detailed breakdown of their core roles across both domains:

Synchrotron radiation sources are a class of high-brightness electromagnetic radiation sources generated by high-energy electrons moving in curved trajectories in magnetic fields. They exhibit characteristics such as high brightness, broad spectral range, excellent collimation, and tunable polarization, making them widely applicable in materials science, life sciences, chemistry, physics, and other fields. Based on developmental stages and technical features, synchrotron radiation sources are primarily categorized into four generations, with free electron lasers (FELs)—based on stimulated emission—often regarded as an extension of synchrotron radiation.

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄)thin films are extensively employed as observation substrates in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) due to their unique physicochemical properties. Below are the corereasons and detailed analyses:

Silicon nitride membranes are ideal for synchrotron radiation and electron microscopy due to their mechanical robustness, chemical inertness, and high X-ray transmission.