Abstract
Increasingly, electron microscopes are being used to look at non-conducting samples. These samples are prone to buildup of surface charge that must be drained away to prevent distortion of the image (due to the large potential buildup) and damage to the sample surface (due to dielectric breakdown). In conventional high vacuum scanning electron microscopes, the microscopist control beam energy to produce an acceptable yield of electrons while minimizing sample charging on non-conducting samples. This charge balance is achieved by reducing incident beam voltage to produce detectable interactions without excessive charge buildup on the sample surface. Electron yields at the low voltages required are sufficient for imaging when using a field emission gun, but it is not, in general, possible to perform microanalysis because the x ray lines of interest cannot be excited. The environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) has demonstrated the ability to overcome this problem by placing the sample in a low vacuum environment.
Published Version
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