Cross-sectional investigation of the internal interface between biological cell tissue and implant materials in the transmission electron microscope (TEM)

In order to gain further insight into the internal interface between in-vitro grown cell-layers and silicon microstructures, we developed a preparation technique for cross-sectional investigation of the cell-semiconductor interface by TEM. So far a suitable preparation technique for TEM cross-sections of these material combinations has not been available, The internal interface between biological tissue and materials like glass, ceramics, silicon etc. could only be studied by observing cross-sectional specimens in the optical microscope and in the scanning electron microscope. We report on a novel method to study the interface between cell tissue and brittle implant material. Micrographs of ion-thinned cross-sections of PDL-cells on Si-microstructures as well as retina tissue on thin film microelectrode-arrays (MEA) and microphotodiode-arrays indicate a gap between cell tissue and implant material/electrode material at nm-level