Electron Microscopes / Atomic Force Microscopes

Devices, Components, Displays & Lighting

Metals, Ceramics, Polymers, Nanomaterials

Cells & Tissues, Plants, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Foods

Electron Microscopes use electron beam which has shorter wavelength than light to resolve fine structure considered too small for light microscopes. They are used in a wide variety of fields from metals/ceramics/semiconductors to polymers/biological tissues.
TEM and STEM are used to observe internal structure by detecting electrons transmitted through a thin specimen while SEM is used to observe surface structure by detecting electrons generated upon primary electron beam irradiation on the surface of a sample.

FIB is used to observe surface structure by detecting electrons generated upon ion beam irradiation and process the surface of a sample to an arbitrary shape by the use of focused ion beam. Since the ion beam can arbitrarily scan on a sample, FIB is widely used for site-specific cross section preparation for SEM observation and lamella preparation for TEM observation. FIB-SEM incorporates both FIB and SEM in a single system, and allows in-situ SEM observation of FIB-prepared cross section. By repeating FIB milling and SEM observation, serial cross-sectional SEM images can be collected and reconstructed for further three-dimensional structural analysis of the sample.

Ion milling system to prepare wide cross section of a sample, ion sputter to increase the conductivity of non-conductive sample and sample cleaner to reduce contamination which disturb electron microscope observation.