FIB section of cell–electrode interface: An approach for reducing curtaining effects

• Study of interface between cells and 3D micro structures with Focused Ion Beam (FIB).
• Reduction of the curtaining artifacts of FIB sectioning.
• Investigation of cell–substrate interface and cell response to 3D structures.

Coupling biological systems with electronic devices such as Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs) has been largely investigated in the last years. The interface between cells and an engineered substrate varies due to the material and shape of the substrate. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) are suitable techniques for studying the interface at the nanoscale. Preserving cell structures and substrates morphology appears to be an important challenge while optimizing SEM and FIB for biological applications. Here, we describe a FIB sectioning method valid for cardiomyocytes-like cells (HL-1) on 3D metal microstructures, focusing on the reduction of mechanical artifacts such as curtaining phenomena.

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