Carbon films have been a support of choice for high resolution electron microscopy since the introduction of vacuum evaporation of carbon. The desirable qualities of carbon films and methods of producing them has been extensively reviewed. It is difficult to get a high yield of grids by many of these methods, especially if virtually all of the windows must be covered with a tightly bonded, quality film of predictable thickness. We report here a method for producing carbon foils designed to maximize these attributes: 1) coverage of virtually all grid windows, 2) freedom from holes, wrinkles or folds, 3) good adhesion between film and grid, 4) uniformity of film and low noise structure, 5) predictability of film thickness, and 6) reproducibility.Our method utilizes vacuum evaporation of carbon from a fiber onto celloidin film and grid bars, adhesion of the film complex to the grid by carbon-carbon contact, and removal of the celloidin by acetone dissolution. Materials must be of high purity, and cleanliness must be rigorously maintained.
