Strain-free preparation of metal single crystals with large thin areas for various applications

An improved technique has been developed for the strain- free preparation of metal single crystals with large uniform thin areas (up to 15 cm 2 ) in the thickness range from 5 to 100 mu m. The method consists of electrolytic jet polishing combined with a continuous thickness measurement which governs the polishing current density. The periphery of the specimen may retain its initial thickness, reducing the danger of deformation during subsequent handling. Ag, Al, Cu and Nb crystals have been prepared with this device for different experiments.