21.05.
2010
Hacettepe University
SCANNING
ELECTRON
MICROSCOPE
Berrak BOYBEK
Tuğba ÖZTÜRK
Vicdan PINARBAŞI
Cahit YAYAN
OUTLINE
• Definition of scanning electron microscope
• History
• Applications of SEM
• Components of the instrument.
• Working principle of the SEM
• Advantages & Disadvantages
• Conclusion
What is SEM?
• SEM=Scanning
Electron Microscope
• It is a type of electron
microscope
• The SEM is a
microscope that uses
electrons instead of
light to form an
image
HISTORY
• The first SEM image was
obtained by Max Knoll, who
in 1935 obtained an image of
silicon steel showing
electron channeling contrast
• The SEM was further
developed by Professor Sir
Charles Outley and his
postgraduate student Gary
Stewart and was first
marketed in 1965 by the
Cambridge Instrument
Company as the
“Stereoscan”.
Applications of SEM
• Topography: The surface
features of an object or
“how it looks”, its texture;
direct relation between
these features and
materials properties.
• Morphology: The shape
and size of the particles
making up the object;
direct relation between
these structures and
materials properties.
Applications of SEM
• Crystallographic
Information: How the
atoms are arranged in
the object; direct
relation between these
arrangements and
material properties.
• Composition: The
elements and
compounds that the
object is composed of
and the relative
amounts of them; direct
relationship between
composition and
material properties.
Main Parts of SEM
Electron Guns
• We want many electrons per
time unit per area (high
current density) and as small
electron spot as possible
• Traditional guns: thermionic
electron gun (electrons are
emitted when a solid is
heated)
• Modern: field emission guns
(FEG) (cold guns, a strong
electric field is used to
extract electrons)
Electron Guns
Detectors
Backscattered electron
detector:
(Solid-State Detector)
Secondary electron detector:
(Everhart-Thornley)
Image: Anders W. B. Skilbred, UiO
Our Traditional Detectors
• Secondary electrons: Everhart-Thornley
Detector
• Backscattered electrons: Solid State
Detector
• X-rays: Energy dispersive spectrometer
(EDS)
Why do we need Vacuum?
• Chemical (corrosion!!) and thermal stability
is necessary for a well-functioning
filament (gun pressure)
• The signal electrons must travel from the
sample to the detector (chamber pressure)
Sample Preparation
• All water must be removed from the
sample
• All samples must also be trimmed to an
apropriate size
• Metals no preparation
• Non-metalics cover the sample with a thin
layer of a conductive material
Sputter Coater
•The sputter coater is used to
coat nonmetallic samples (bugs,
plants, human hair, etc.) with a
thin layer of gold.
•This makes them conductive,
and ready to be viewed by
the SEM. If the samples are
metallic, they can simply be
mounted and placed in the
SEM.
Advantages
• High resolution of images
• A superior level of magnification
• A large dept of field
• Uses electromagnets as an alternative to
lenses
• 3D data of sample can be measured
• Preparation of sample is relatively easy
Disadvantages
• Costly to purchase and maintain
• Sample have to be viewed in vacuum
• Non-conductive materials need coating
• Sensitive to vibration and external
magnetic fields
• Sensitive to electrical supply
• SEMs are radiation-generating devices;
so users need developing a 'SEM safety
plan'
Summary
• The scanning electron microscope is a versatile
instrument that can be used for many purposes and can
be equipped with various accessories
• An electron probe is scanned across the surface of the
sample and detectors interpret the signal as a function of
time
• A resolution of 1 – 2 nm can be obtained when operated
in a high resolution setup
• The introduction of ESEM and the field emission gun
have simplified the imaging of challenging samples
Sem Application Fotos
Sem Application Fotos
Thanks For
Your
Attention