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Topics

Electron Microscope:

FESEM & SEM

www.um.edu.my 1

What is Electron Microscope?

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• An Electron Microscope (EM) is a microscope, which uses electron beams as a primary source of
illumination..
⑳
S
• An EM uses the same principles of an optical microscope but instead of photons or particles of
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light, it concentrates electrons.
③
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• Electron microscope is used to obtain high-resolution images of biological and non-biological
specimens. It is used to study the structure of tissues, cells, organelles, and macro molecular
complexes in detail and often used for quality control and failure analysis.

(4)-
• Instead of glass lenses, EM uses shaped magnetic fields to form an electron-optical lens.

• In 1931, a physicist and electrical engineer, Ernst Ruska, and Max Knoll discovered the first
Electron Microscope

low
wereweownrewarene
ninecones resolution

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Working Principle of Electron Microscope

Electrons are referred to as subatomic particles orbit around the atomic nucleus. When atoms of a
metal are excited by the external heat energy, electrons started to fly off from the atom. In the
-

electron microscopes, a tungsten metal is heated with the help of ahigh voltage current, electrons
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form a continuous stream, which is used like a light beam. The lenses used in EM are magnetic coils
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capable of focusing the electron beam on the specimen.

O tungsten metal is heated w the help of

a
high voltage current

② electrons form a continous stream

8 the lenses used in the is

magnetic coils -

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bean
capable focus on the electron

of specimen.
the

Operating Procedure of Electron Microscope

1. The specimen is prepared.

2. Place the prepared specimen in the vacuum chamber.
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3. Heat the electron gun to release beams of electron.
4. Use of coiled electromagnets instead
- of glass lenses to point the electron beam over the
specimen.
5. After passing through the specimen the electron beam creates an image or electron
micrograph, which is then
- viewed on a fluorescent screen rather than an eyepiece.

① specimen is
prepared
chamber
8 place the specimen on the vacuum

③ electron is heated release

to
beam of e
4 gun

⑧ the coiled electromagnets is used to

point
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over specimen.
the
⑤ After passing through specimen, electron

beam creats which

an
image then

Types of SEM viewed on a

fluorescent screen.

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• Conventional (high vacuum)
• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM)
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• SEM Variable Pressure or Low Vacuum
• SEM Cryo on an SEM O conventional
• (Cryo-SEM) Environmental
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• SEM Focused ion beam
• (FIB) Electron-beam (E-beam) lithography. & sEvarable pressure
or
low vacuum.

8 cryo-sm (environmentals

Field Emission Scanning

Electron Microscope (FESEM)

A FESEM is an Electron microscope that works with

electrons which are liberated by a field emission source
and the object is scanned by electrons according to a zig-
zag pattern. It is used to visualize very small topographic
details on the surface or entire or fractioned objects that
may be as small as 1 nm.

Fig: First Scanning Electron Microscope

with high resolution from Manfred von
Ardenne 1937.

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Instrumentation
The typical scanning electron microscope contains a machine with three components:

1. the
-
microscope column, including the electron gun at the top, the column, down which the electron
beam travels, and the sample chamber at the base.
2. the computer that drives the microscope, with the additional bench controls.
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3. Ancillary equipment that, for example, analyses composition.
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Electron gun:
Electron guns can be classified into two types
1. Thermionic gun
2. Field emission gun

Electron column:
The electron column focuses and illuminates the specimen using the electron beam generated by the
electron gun. As the beam is scanned over the specimen in the X- and Y- directions, secondary and
backscattered electrons are produced and detected. By amplifying and modulating the brightness of the
detected electron signals an image is produced.

Instrumentation
Magnetic lens system:1.
Condenser lens
2. Objective lens
3. Scanning coils

Detectors:
Secondary electron detector (SED) - Everhart-Thornley Detector:

Due to the low energies of secondary electrons (SE) (~2 to 50 eV) they are ejected only from
near-surface layers. Therefore, secondary electron imaging (SEI) is ideal for recording
topographical information. To attract(collect) these low-energy electrons, a small bias (often
+/- ve select able but usually around +200 to 300V) is applied to the cage at the front end of
the detector to attract the negative electrons towards the detector. A higher kV (e.g. 7 to 12kV)
is applied inside the cage i.e. to the scintillator, to accelerate the electrons into the scintillator
screen.

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Instrumentation
Backscattered electron detector (BSD) - solid state diode detector:

The BSD is mounted below the objective lens pole piece and centred around the optic axis. As the specimen
surface is scanned by the incident electron beam, backscattered electrons (BSE) are generated, the yield of which
is controlled by the topographical, physical and chemical characteristics of the sample. Both compositional or
topographical backscattered electron images (BEI)can be recorded depending on the window of electron energies
selected for image formation.

Specimen chamber:
The specimen chamber is maintained at high vacuum that minimizes scattering of the electron beam before
reaching the specimen. This is important as scattering or attenuation of the electron beam will increase the probe
size and reduce the resolution, especially in the SE mode. A high vacuum condition also optimizes collection
efficiency.

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mast O

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Applications
1. In industry, it is used for quality control and failure analysis.
2. Used to study the structure of different living and non-living materials.
3. In microbiology, it is used to study of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, etc.
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4. Used to detect the fault or weakness of a building material.

5. To study the Crystal structure of material.
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6. Adsorption of particle on surfaces.

0
use to study of microorganisms

structure of materials'
② study crystal
8 controlsfailure amangers.
quality
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Applications
•
- Thickness measurement of thin coatings and films.
• Correlation of surface appearance and surface morphology.
• Characterization of size, size distribution, shape and dispersion of additives,
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particulates and fibers in composites and blends.
• Measurement of height and lateral dimensions of nanometre sized objects.
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• Characterization of Cell size and size distribution in foam materials.
• Elemental analysis of micron sized features.
• Fracture and failure analysis.·
• Defect analysis.

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Advantages
500
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1. Electron Microscopes can Magnifies objects over soo,000x times.
2. Material rarely distorted by preparation.
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3. EM allows us to investigate a greater depth of field. 0 magnify 500,000 times
4. It Can resolve objects up to 200nm.
-

8 resolve
objects up to
Disadvantages 200 nm.

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1. Electron Microscopes are expensive.
& greater depth of
I
2. Live specimens cannot be observed.
3. EMs are very large in size and must be operated in special rooms.
4. It is Expensive to operate. field
5. As the penetration power of the electron beam is very low, the specimen should be ultra-thin.
6. All images in EM, are in black and white.
7. A high vacuum is required for viewing the living material.8. Required expertise to handle it.

① expensive
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8 live specimentcan't
be observed

Samples & must be operated in

special room.

Human Hair

Human lymphocyte white blood cell

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Samples

Zinc Oxide Bird Flu Virus

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Thank You

www.um.edu.my universityofmalaya unimalaya uniofmalaya

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