Materials Characterization

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

 Microscope

Greek “Mikros” = Small

“Skopus” = to look at

Microscopy: looking at small things

Microscope : Instrument using a set of several lenses

forms an enlarged (magnifies) image
 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
An instrument in which the specimen surface is scanned by a focused beam of
electrons by sweeping it across a rectangular shaped area (called “Raster”), and
using a variety of detectors the image is reconstructed from the signals
generated from the sample and magnified on the screen.
 Characteristic information: SEM
Topography: The surface features of material, “how it looks”, its
texture; direct relation between these features and materials properties

Morphology: The shape and size of the particles making up the

material; direct relation between these structures and materials
properties

Composition: The elements and compounds that the material is

composed of and the relative amounts of them; direct relationship
between composition and materials properties
 Why Electrons!
 Electrons are easily created from variety of materials, hence makes it
possible to produce an electron beam

 Electrons are negatively charged particles and are attracted to positive

ones. This makes it possible to give them high speed by attracting them
with an highly charged anode

 Electrons are affected by magnetic fields. This allows us to move the

beam around and use magnetic fields as electron lenses in place of
ground glass lenses for visible optic
Optical Microscopes vs. Electron Microscopes

 RESOLUTION
 DEPTH OF FIELD
 MAGNIFICATION
 Resolution
Resolution is defined as the smallest distance at which two objects can be distinguished
and recognized as individual objects

Unresolved Partially Resolved

resolved
Abbes equation(1870)

where d = resolution (minimum resolvable distance)

λ = wavelength of the energy source
n = refractive index of the medium
α = aperture angle
An aperture is a hole or an opening through which light is admitted.
 Electron wavelength
The wavelength of an electron is dependent upon accelerating voltage and
is given by

where
h = Planck’s constant (6.626 x 10-34 J s)
m = electron mass (9.109 x 10-31 kg)
e = electronic charge (1.60 x 10-19 C)
V = accelerating voltage (0.5 - 3 x 104 V)
 Electron wavelength
Calculate the d ( minimum resolvable distance) for accelerating voltage of
electron 5kV (λ=0.173Å), 200kV (λ =0.025Å) and for light (λ = 4000Å).
Assuming nsinα is 1.

Abbes equation(1870)

Voltage (kV) λ (Å) d(Å)

5 0.173 0.106
200 0.025 0.015
light 4000 2440.0
Light vs SEM
 Resolution

Unresolved

Partially resolved

Resolved
 Resolution

Optical microscope

SEM

Blood corpuscles
 Depth of field

Depth of field : The range of heights (distances) on the specimen surface for
which the image is in focus

Optical microscope SEM

 Magnification
Magnification : defined by the ratio of the length of the scan on the
CRT(LCRT) and length of the scan on the specimen (LSpec).

SEM magnification can be changed by adjusting the length of the scan on the
specimen corresponding to a constant length of scan on the CRT
Magnification
 Magnification
Assuming CRT screen measures 10 cm 10 cm
Area sampled as a function of magnification

Magnification Area on sample

10X (1cm)2
100X (1mm)2
1,000X (100μm)2
10,000X (10μm)2
100,000X (1μm)2
1,000,000X (100nm)2
 Magnification

10X 110X 200X

16K 4K
400X
Optical microscopes vs. Electron microscopes
Magnification Depth of Field Resolution
OM 4 - 1400 0.5mm ~0.2μm
SEM 10 - 500K 30mm 3nm

$400 < $125,000

 SEM- Basic Construction
1. Electron Production
Entire system is
under vacuum 2.Electron Acceleration

3. Electron Focusing

4. Electron Scanning
7. Signal Display
6. Signal Detection

6. Signal Detection 5. Electron Interaction