Basics of

Scanning Electron Microscopy

 SEM
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
• is a type of electron microscope capable of
producing high-resolution images of a
sample surface

• Due to the manner in which the

image is created, SEM images
have a characteristic three-
dimensional appearance
 History of Microscopy

Zacharias Janssen
1595
History of Microscopy

Anton van
Leeuwenhoek
History of Microscopy
History of Microscopy
History of Microscopy

Created
the TEM
in 1931

Max Knott and Ernst Ruska

History of Microscopy

M. von Ardenne (1938)

added scanning coils to
TEM and created the first
Scanning Electron
Microscope
History of Microscopy

1951:The First Modern SEM

D. McMullan in the Cambridge
University Engineering Laboratory
 History of Microscopy

1964: First commercial

SEM by Cambridge
Instruments
1939: First commercial
TEM by Siemens
(Ruska, von Borries)
 History of Microscopy

Binning Rohrer

1986 Nobel prize for E.Ruska

(together with G. Binning and H.
Rohrer, who developed the Scanning
Tunneling Microscope)
 Eyepiece

Coarse and Fine

Adjustments

Objective
Lenses

Sample Stage

Mirror

The Compound Microscope

Dissected
HOW DOES A MICROSCOPE WORK?
 Lens System

Magnifies the
Image by
bending LIGHT!
Image Formation in Microscope
Focus vs Out of Focus

Out of
Focus
Focus
The Function of a MICROSCOPE
• Microscopes have two important functions:
– Magnify the Image
– Resolve the Image

Magnification is Resolution is the

the increasing in ability to distinguish
size of an object between two
separate points.
 MAGNIFICATION W/
MAGNIFICATION
RESOLUTION
 Why is Illumination Important?
• “For the human eye, seeing objects, in
more and more detail, depends on light.
No light means no seeing!”

Resolution is a
function of the
QUALITY of the
LENS and also
of the
WAVELENGTH
of LIGHT USED
 Why is Illumination
Important?
• The Light Microscope is limited to a
maximum of only 2000X magnification with
a resolution of 200 nm

WHY?
The Importance
of Illumination
ANSWER:
BECAUSE it USES
WHITE LIGHT which
has a wavelength of 400
to 700 nm!
Electro Magnetic Spectrum
 • How does one improve
MAGNIFICATION &
RESOLUTION?

ANSWER:
USE an ILLUMINATION with
SMALLER WAVELENGTH!
USE an ELECTRON!!!
 DUAL NATURE OF ELECTRON

PARTICLE

Since it moves in a
wavelike manner,
then this means
that it acts like WAVE
white light!!
Using Electrons as Light Source

WAVE

Electron Wavelength may even be

made smaller simply by increasing
the energy of the electron!
THIS MEANS BETTER
RESOLUTION!!!
The Electron Microscope

Resolution using
Electron Beam:
1 to 20 nm!

The ELECTRON
MICROSCOPE is simply a
MICROSCOPE which uses
ELECTRONS to
ILLUMINATE the SAMPLE!
 Parts of the Electron Microscope
Electron
Gun CRT Screen
Vacuum
Column PUMP

Sample
chamber

Column Operations
Console Console
INSIDE the
SEM
ELECTRON GUN

Produces
electrons that
will illuminate
the sample
Speed of Electrons
is controlled by
accelerating voltage!
ELECTRON GUN

Wehnelt cap
Incandescent Bulb vs Gun Filament

Produces White Produces Electron

Light Beam
 GUN

An Electron GUN
enclosed in a
glass jar

BEAM of
ELECTRONS
Tungsten

Used as Filament
due to Its High
Melting Point
(3695 K, 3422 °C, 6192 °F)
Lanthanum Hexaboride, LaB6

BRIGHTER
but very
REACTIVE
 FIELD EMISSION GUNS

TUNGSTEN

Field Emission is the ability of

materials to emit electrons
when a huge amount of electric
SCHOTTKY
POTENTIAL is applied EMITTER
 SEM Cathode Comparison

Tungsten
LaB6 Schottky (TF) Field Emission
filament

Apparent 100 5 <100

<100 Angstroms
Source Size micrometers micrometers Angstroms

1 A/cm2 20-50 A/cm2 100-500 A/cm2 100-1000 A/cm2

Brightness
steradian steradian steradian steradian

Vacuum
10-5 Torr 10-6 Torr 10-8 Torr 10-9 Torr
Required
Why is there a need to use HIGH
VACUUM in the CHAMBER?
ANSWER:
• Electrons are so small that these can be easily
SCATTERED by gas atoms or molecules

• Filament will
BURN out if AIR is
present!
INSIDE the
SEM
 LENS SYSTEM

Optical
Magnetic Lenses
Lenses
ELECTROMAGNETIC LENSES

Lenses made of
magnet to control the
size of the electron
spray
 How Does the
EM Lens Work?

LENSES
FOCUSES the
ELECTRON
BEAM to a
SPOT SIZE of
2 to 200 nm
 ElectroMagnetic Lens

OBJECTIVE
LENS
INSIDE the
SEM
 Sample Chamber

Z=80
mm
X=125
mm
26 Pin Stub Holder

00
1
Y= m
m SOME SAMPLE
STAGES can actually
accommodate
MULTIPLE SAMPLES!
INSIDE the
SEM
 How is the IMAGE produced in
the SEM?
• The electron beam is produced in the Gun
• It is focused on the sample by Lenses
• Beam is “SCANNED” over the sample surface
 What happens when Beam Hits
Sample?

• The electrons interact

with the material to
produce different
products!
 Interaction Products

1. Secondary Electron 2. Backscattered

Electron
- electron is knocked
out of the atom - incident electron is
knocked back
 Interaction Products

3. Characteristic X-ray 4. Auger Electrons

- primary electron - emission of an
knocks out electron, electron from an atom
loses energy and causes the emission of
releases x-rays a second electron
Interaction
Volume
Image Formation
in SEM

These products are

then COLLECTED by
a DETECTOR and
processed to produce
the IMAGE in the
CRT Screen!
Secondary Electrons

SE Signals are best for

SURFACE
TOPOLOGY
EXAMINATIONS
BACKSCATTERED ELECTRONS

BSE is best for

Compositional Difference
Imaging
 SE vs BS Imaging

Secondary Backscattered
Electron Electron
Image Image
CHARACTERISTIC X-RAYS

WDS Spectrum of
Salt Crystal
 Interaction of Products
• Flash Presentation
on SEI, BEI, X-ray
 Advantages of Using SEM
• High depth of field: 3-D imaging

Image using Compound Image using SEM

Microscope
3-D or STEREO IMAGING
 Advantages of Using SEM
• Bulk examination is possible (no
thickness limitation)
• Different detectors could allow different
analytical techniques (compositional,
phase contrast, etc)
 Limitations
• Inability to reproduce color Helicobacter
• Sample must be stable in vacuum (wet or
samples that emit gases are not possible
to examine)
• Sample must be conductive

Salt in
Water Fly Proboscis
 What Type of Samples can one
view with the SEM?
• All Samples may be viewed in the SEM!

METALS
CERAMICS PLASTICS

• The only requirement is that sample

should be electrically conductive!
 What if a Sample is an
INSULATOR?

CERAMICS &
PLASTICS
LIVING
THINGS
TO VIEW THESE, THEN ONE NEEDS TO MAKE
IT CONDUCTIVE!!!
Charge-up in SEM Imaging

Distortion in SEM Imaging caused by build

up of electrons in the non-conductive sample
 Methods
for non conductive specimen
• Metal Coating
• Low Voltage
• Low Vacuum mode (in the specimen
chamber )
 METAL COATING
To make a sample
conductive, the solution is
to COAT it with a
METAL!!

Sputter Coat
with Gold or
Carbon
Why is GOLD found
in this SALT
sample?
LOW VOLTAGE
 Low vacuum Mode
• Flash presentation
on Low vacuum
THANKS FOR LISTENING!