The demand f o r characterization of metal-ceramic composites has l e d t o a number of TEM i n v e s t i g a t i o n s of t h e m i c r o s t r u c t u r e and c h e m i s t r y i n the v i c i n i t y o f t h e metal-ceramic i n t e r f a c e . The a t o m i c arrangements a t s u c h i n t e r f a c e s are of s c i e n t i f i c as w e l l as technological i n t e r e s t because they e s s e n t i a l y d e t e r m i n e t h e mechanical p r o p e r t i e s o f t h e composites. The accuracy of the r e s u l t s obtained using a n a l y t i c a l as well as high r e s o l u t i o n e l e c t r o n microscopy w i l l be affected by changes i n specimen thickness across the interface. I n our e f f o r t s t o characterize the metal-ceramic i n t e r f a c e i n thermal barrier c o a t i n g s (TBC'S) we n o t i c e d p r e f e r e n t i a l ion-milling of t h e metal i n c o n v e n t i o n a l l y prepared (ground down t o 100 urn, m e c h a n i c a l l y dimpled t o 30 um thickness and then ion-milled t o perforation) TEM samples and hence i t was i m p o s s i b l e t o g e t u n i f o r m l y t h i n areas n e a r t h e i n t e r f a c e . The sample preparation technique described earlier by Bravman e t a 1 (1984) was modified s o t h a t s a m p l e s of uniform t h i c k n e s s a t t h e i n t e r f a c e i n thermal b a r r i e r c o a t i n g s as well as a t n i c k e l p a r t i c l e s d i s p e r s e d i n a z i r c o n i a m a t r i x , c o u l d be o b t a i n e d . Only t h e m o d i f i c a t i o n s i n the t e c h n i q u e are described here.