Electron microscope

File:SEM.jpg

JEOL scanning electron microscope system

Description

A high magnification microscope with an illumination source that emits a stream of electrons. The electrons are focused by a magnetic lens to form a small beam that is rastered over a section of the sample. The electron beam causes secondary electrons to be emitted from the surface of the sample. These electrons are detected and imaged. Electron microscopes can provide magnifications up to 100,000 x.

Synonyms and Related Terms

microscope électronique (Fr.); Elektronenmikroscop (Deut.); miscrosopia electronica (It., Esp., Port.); SEM; scanning electron microscope; TEM; transmission electron microscope

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

• ASTM, Standard Terminology of Microscopy, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 14, General Methods and Instrumentation, ASTM, E175, 75-78, May 1982

• Walter C. McCrone, John Gustave Delly, The Particle Atlas, W. McCrone Associates, Chicago, IV, 1972

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Microscope." Accessed 19 Aug. 2004 .

• Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technologies, Paul Nicholson, Ian Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000 Comment: B.Aston, J.Harrell, I.Shaw, "Stone" p. 68