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Overview of Electron Microscopy

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.

Transmission Electron Microscopy

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...

Scanning Electron Microscopy

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
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Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

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Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

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Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
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Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy (DIHM) of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy (DIHM) of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Published on: February 8, 2014

Performance limits of electron holography.

Hannes Lichte¹

¹Triebenberg Laboratory, Institute of Structure Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. hannes.lichte@triebenberg.de

Ultramicroscopy

|December 7, 2007

Summary

Electron holography overcomes missing phase issues in transmission electron microscopy. This study explores the performance limits of electron holography for imaging object structures.

Area of Science:

Physics
Materials Science
Microscopy

Background:

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) relies on wave optics, where the object exit wave contains complete information.
Standard intensity images in TEM, whether in real or Fourier space, lack phase information.
This missing phase information limits the complete interpretation of object structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the performance limits of electron holography.
To determine the boundaries of field of view, lateral resolution, and signal resolution in electron holography.
To understand how electron holography addresses the 'missing phase problem' in TEM.

Main Methods:

Electron holography is employed to recover phase information lost in conventional TEM imaging.

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Analysis of performance metrics including field of view, lateral resolution, and signal resolution.

Derivation and discussion of the theoretical and practical limits of the technique.

Main Results:

Electron holography successfully recovers phase information, enabling complete object structure interpretation.
The study derives and discusses the performance limitations concerning field of view.
Performance limits for lateral resolution and signal resolution are also derived and discussed.

Conclusions:

Electron holography is a powerful technique for overcoming the missing phase problem in TEM.
Understanding the performance limits is crucial for optimizing its application in medium and high-resolution imaging.
Further research can build upon these findings to enhance imaging capabilities.