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Related Concept Videos

Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

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 Microscopy01:07

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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Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

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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.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

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To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

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.

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Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis
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Development of a new quantitative X-ray microanalysis method for electron microscopy.

Paula Horny1, Eric Lifshin, Helen Campbell

  • 1Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montréal, Québec H3A 2B2, Canada. paula.horny@mail.mcgill.ca

Microscopy and Microanalysis : the Official Journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada
|October 22, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new quantitative X-ray microanalysis method for thick samples compensates for beam current fluctuations in cold field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEMs). This approach uses a single spectral measurement, improving accuracy for elemental analysis in materials science.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Quantitative X-ray microanalysis of thick samples relies on comparing element intensities from unknowns to standards.
  • Traditional methods (ZAF, ϕ(ρz)) require stable experimental conditions, which are challenging with cold field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEMs) due to beam current fluctuations.
  • Existing research on variable beam current conditions is limited, especially for FE-SEM applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel quantitative X-ray microanalysis method for thick samples suitable for FE-SEMs with fluctuating beam currents.
  • To address the limitations of traditional methods in variable beam current environments.
  • To improve the accuracy and reliability of elemental analysis in materials.

Main Methods:

  • A new method employing a single spectral measurement was developed, adapting principles from the Cliff-Lorimer method.
  • Corrections for X-rays from thick specimens are made using the ratio of characteristic X-ray intensities of two elements within the same material.
  • The method normalizes characteristic X-ray intensity by the sum of all measured elemental X-ray intensities, reducing error propagation. Calibration factors correct for physical parameter uncertainties.

Main Results:

  • The proposed method was applied to Au-Cu standards using a cold FE-SEM.
  • Relative accuracies better than 5% were achieved, demonstrating the method's effectiveness.
  • The approach mitigates issues caused by beam current instability inherent in FE-SEMs.

Conclusions:

  • The developed method offers a viable solution for quantitative X-ray microanalysis of thick samples under variable beam current conditions, particularly in FE-SEMs.
  • This technique enhances the accuracy of elemental composition determination in materials science.
  • The single spectral measurement approach simplifies analysis and improves robustness against experimental fluctuations.