NW
Structural & Compositional AnalysisCharacterization & Testing

SEM and Cryo-SEM – Scanning electron microscopy

By Swiss Nanoscience Institute

We use SEM to examine the surface of a sample with secondary electrons (SE) and create a topographic image. We use backscattered electrons (BSE) to obtain information about qualitative material composition. Cryo-SEM can be used to image hydrated samples without drying artifacts by means of flash-freezing, or samples are dried beforehand by the critical point drying (CPD) procedure.