Breaking the Resolution Barrier in the Scanning Electron Microscope

the scanning electron microscope

it is only thirteen years since the scanning electron microscope has been available commercially. yet, even in this short period of time, this instrument has been a powerful tool in the investigation of topography, electrical and magnetic properties, crystal structure, cathodoluminescent characteristics etc. of solid specimens. today, this type of microscope has opened its place alongside the c...

The Scanning Confocal Electron Microscope

The Scanning Confocal Electron Microscope, is an instrument which permits the observation and characterization of sub-surface structures of thick, optically opaque materials at nanometer level resolutions. The instrument merges the capabilities of the scanning, transmission and x-ray microscopes, and achieves unprecedented resolutions in optically dense materials, by implementing the technology...

Forensic Applications of the Scanning Electron Microscope

Resolution of the Scanning Helium Microscope

The resolution of helium ion scanning microscopes working in the secondary electron emission mode is theoretically estimated in the energy interval of E = 0.3-100 keV. The corresponding probe diameter improves with energy from 1.0 to 0.2 nm. A theoretical probe diameter of 0.25 nm can be obtained by use of a standard three-electrode objective lens of electrostatic microscopes. The most importan...

X-ray Microanalysis of Cultured Cells in the Scanning Electron Microscope and in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope: a Comparison

X-ray microanalysis of cultured cells as “whole mounts” (i.e., not sectioned) is used frequently e.g., to study mechanisms of ion transport. Cells can be cultured either on solid substrates or on thin plastic films on grids. Cells cultured on solid substrates are analyzed in the scanning electron microscope at relatively low accelerating voltage, cells cultured on thin films can be analyzed in ...