Nanofabrication of a gold fiducial array on specimen support for electron tomography

Here we describe the production, using lithography and micro-engineering technologies, of patterned arrays of nanofabricated gold dots on a thin Si3N4 electron transparent layer, supported by silicon. We illustrate that the support with a patterned structure of nanosized gold can be exploited for (cryo) electron tomography application as a specimen support with predefined alignment markers. This nanogold patterned support has several advantages. The Si3N4 window provides a 50 nm thin, strong and flat support with a ∼0.7 mm2 large electron-beam transparent window. The nanogold pattern has a user-defined size and density, is highly regular and stable. This facilitates accurate tracking during tilt series acquisition, provides sufficient contrast for accurate alignment during the image reconstruction step and avoids an uneven lateral distribution and movement of individual fiducials. We showed that the support is suitable for electron tomography on plastic sections.