Electron Optic Documents

The ability to increase the probe current for fast microanalysis, while still maintaining a small spot size and small volume of excitation for high resolution, has been the holy grail of microanalysis in SEM. One of the unique features of JEOL’s FE SEMs is the patented Aperture Angle Control Lens (ACL). This lens automatically optimizes for both high resolution imaging at low probe currents and high spatial resolution X-ray analysis at high probe currents with a seamless transition between the two. This is essential for rapid analysis and superb image quality and is particularly true for low kV microanalysis. The ACL works by considering effects of all aberrations (spherical, chromatic and diffraction limitations) on spot size and automatically optimizing the convergence angle.

OBF System - Live Low Dose, Light Element Imaging

Wet specimens are notoriously difficult to image in scanning electron microscopes (SEM) owing to evaporation from the required vacuum of the specimen chamber. Traditionally, this issue has been addressed by increasing the specimen chamber pressure. Unfortunately, observation under high specimen chamber pressure cannot prevent the initial evaporation effects. The wet cover method, where the original surface water is retained (and, therefore, considered wet), provides a way to introduce and subsequently image specimens that are sensitive to evaporation within a SEM, while preventing evaporation-related damage, and to observe interesting specimen–water interactions.

JEOL’s Particle Analysis Software 3 (PA3) enhances the capability of your analytical SEM by automating the detection, EDS analysis and classification of particles, grains or other features in your samples. Fully integrated with our SEM-EDS systems, PA3 increases throughput and productivity by providing fast, unattended measurements across large areas of a sample, or multiple samples.

Phase Analysis provides a new level of automation to your JEOL EDS data analysis and interpretation workflows

When a sample is exposed to the electron beam in a scanning electron microscope a variety of signals are generated. X-rays being one of those signals that can provide valuable insight into a materials chemical makeup. The collected X-ray signal includes background X-ray radiation and more importantly, X-rays of specific energies, that are characteristic of the elements present in the sample. For this reason, an energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDS) is one of the most common detectors that is added to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is used to not only determine the elements present in a sample but in many instances can give insight to the quantity as well as the spatial distribution of these elements over very small volumes.

The IDES Relativity Electrostatic Subframing System multiplies the frame rate of cameras on JEOL TEMs. Microscopes equipped with Relativity achieve exceptional time resolution, data throughput, and advanced automation capabilities. Addition of Relativity allows current JEOL TEM users to forego expensive camera upgrades to their existing systems, instead relying on installation of an electrostatic optics assembly in a wide-angle camera port. These optics rapidly deflect the image data to different regions (subframes) of the camera in a programmable sequence. Each camera readout contains a tiled array of crisp, blur-free subframes. Raw data is automatically analyzed to give a stack of open format images that are loaded back into the camera control software for viewing or further analysis.

The first commercially available SEM was introduced over 50 years ago and to this day there is still no internationally accepted standard for determining SEM resolution. To add to the confusion, each SEM manufacturer relies on their own sample and methods for determining resolution.

The first commercially available SEM was introduced over 50 years ago and to this day there is still no internationally accepted standard procedure for determining the resolution in an SEM image. To add to the confusion, each SEM manufacturer relies on their own sample and methods for determining resolution. Defining the edge of a particle manually is also always subjective in nature; values will differ from one person to the next based on how that person interprets or ‘sees’ the edge of a particle.

In scanning electron microscopy (SEM), conductive coatings are commonly applied to the surface of insulating or beam sensitive materials such as biologic specimens, polymers, ceramics, geologic specimen, and semiconductors to dissipate charge build-up or reduce structural damage resulting from interaction with the electron beam. There are a wide variety of commercially available coating materials, including metals such as gold, platinum and iridium and non-metals including carbon. But which, if any, is right for you? Here we discuss when it is appropriate to add a conductive coating to insulating or beam sensitive materials and how to pick the best coating material for your applications.