It is useful to know some of the physical properties of commercial grids and support films, and the EMC is attempting to collect much of that information on this page. The first section deals with support film thicknesses and is organized according to the company that sells the support films. The second section deals with the properties of grids (i.e., the spacing between bars, the width of the bars, etc.) and is organized according to manufacturer. The third section contains links to descriptions of things like the layering of materials onto grids.
Physical Properties of Commercial Grids
Support Film Thickness
People often ask how thick a particular support film is, and the following table is an attempt to collect that information in an easy to access place:
| Company | Designation | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| EMS | standard | ~10 nm |
| EMS | ultra thin (UL) | 5-6 nm |
| EMS | thick (TH) | 15-20 nm |
| EMS | extra thick | 25-50 nm |
| Ted Pella | pure carbon film | 15-25 nm |
Properties of Grids
It is sometimes useful to know things like the width and spacing of grid bars in a particular grid, the total area that is available for viewing, etc. The following information about grids from various vendors has been collected web sites such as Ted Pella and similar information for each of the vendors is not always available.
PELCO® Grids - General Properties
- Rim width: 350-400 μm
- Thickness: 25 μm
- Diameter: 3 - 3.05 mm
- Pitch: 1.0/mesh (in inches) 25.4/mesh (in mm)
NOTE: Pitch is sometimes used to describe the width of the hole plus the width of the bar (the shortest centert-to-cener spacing between holes)
| Square Mesh | Pitch μm | Hole μm | Bar μm | % Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 508 | 425 | 83 | 70 |
| 75 | 339 | 284 | 55 | 70 |
| 100 | 254 | 204 | 50 | 65 |
| 150 | 169 | 125 | 44 | 60 |
| 200 | 127 | 90 | 37 | 50 |
| 200 Extra Open Area (thinner grid bars) | 127 | 106 | 21 | 69 |
| 300 | 85 | 54 | 31 | 40 |
| 400 | 64 | 38 | 26 | 35 |
| 400 Extra Open Area (thinner grid bars) | 64 | 45 | 19 | 48 |
| 500 | 51 | 28 | 23 | 30 |
StrataTek™ Grids - General Properties
- Thickness: 25 μm
- Diameter: 3.05 mm
- Pitch: 1.0/mesh (in inches) 25.4/mesh (in mm)
NOTE: Pitch is sometimes used to describe the width of the hole plus the width of the bar (the shortest centert-to-cener spacing between holes)
| Mesh | Pitch μm | Hole μm | Bar μm | % Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 530 | 450 | 80 | 72 |
| 75 | 350 | 300 | 50 | 73.5 |
| 100 | 260 | 230 | 30 | 78 |
| 150 | 180 | 140 | 40 | 60 |
| Mesh | Pitch μm | Hole μm | Bar μm | % Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 530 | 450 | 80 | 72 |
| 75 | 350 | 300 | 50 | 73.5 |
| 100 | 260 | 230 | 30 | 78 |
| 150 | 180 | 140 | 40 | 60 |
| 200 | 130 | 100 | 30 | 59 |
| 230 | 110 | 85 | 25 | 60 |
StrataTek™ Grids - General Properties
- Thickness: 20 μm
- Diameter: 3.05 mm
- Pitch: 1.0/mesh (in inches) 25.4/mesh (in mm)
NOTE: Pitch is sometimes used to describe the width of the hole plus the width of the bar (the shortest centert-to-cener spacing between holes)
| Mesh | Pitch μm | Hole μm | Bar μm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 250 | 200 | 50 |
| 150 | 167 | 117 | 50 |
| 200 | 125 | 85 | 40 |
| 300 | 83 | 45 | 38 |
| 400 | 63 | 30 | 33 |
| Mesh | Pitch μm | Hole μm | Bar μm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 250 | 200 | 50 |
| 200 | 125 | 85 | 40 |
Additional Links
Here are links to various websites that give additional characterization of commercially available grids and support films: