Evaporated specimens for camera length calibrations

The nominal value of the effective camera length of an EM perating in the selected area mode is not sufficiently accurate for any calculations of lattice spacing. The actual value of camera length must be calibrated as the same accelerating voltage and objective lens setting by reference to a known substance with well defined diffraction spacings. The normal specimens are evaporated films on a 3.05mm grid of aluminium or thallous chloride. The very small crystalline size yields ring patterns suitable for calibration purposes.