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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.
Fundamental Principles
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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.

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

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
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Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

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 Techniques

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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...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope

Published on: May 28, 2016

Electron scattering cross section measurements in a variable pressure scanning electron microscope.

Scott A Wight¹, Andrew R Konicek

¹Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. scott.wight@nist.gov

Micron (Oxford, England : 1993)

|May 9, 2012

Summary

Electron beam scattering in variable pressure scanning electron microscopes (VPSEM) impacts chemical analysis. This study quantifies scattering cross sections in different gases, improving VPSEM quantitative measurements.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Analytical Chemistry
Physics

Background:

Electron beam scattering in variable pressure scanning electron microscopes (VPSEM) complicates quantitative chemical measurements.
The relationship between scattering cross sections and gas type/accelerating voltage in VPSEM is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate and quantify electron beam scattering in VPSEM.
To understand how scattering cross sections vary with gas type, pressure, working distance, and accelerating voltage.

Main Methods:

A dual Faraday cup was designed and utilized.
Scattered electron fractions were measured across various conditions in air, water vapor, and argon.

Main Results:

Experimental scattering cross section measurements were obtained.
Results align with prior experimental data and theoretical calculations (within a factor of two).

Conclusions:

This work provides crucial data on electron scattering in VPSEM environments.
The findings contribute to more accurate quantitative chemical analysis using VPSEM technology.