Spectroscopic Centre of Excellence
Hitachi SU 70 Analytical FESEM with Oxford Instruments EDS and WDS
The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that images the sample surface by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern. The electrons interact with the shells in atoms that make up the sample producing signals that contain information about the sample's surface topography, composition and other properties such as electrical conductivity.
The types of signals produced by an SEM include secondary electrons (SE), back-scattered electrons (BSE), characteristic X-rays, light (cathodoluminescence), specimen current and transmitted electrons (STEM). Generally the most common or standard detection mode is SE imaging. The spot size in a Field Emission SEM is smaller than in conventional SEM and can therefore produce very high-resolution images, revealing details in the range of 1 to 5 nm in size.
SU 70 High Resolution Analytical SEM
The Hitachi SU 70 is a semi in-lens FESEM with a Schottky electron gun. The SU 70 at CREST in the FOCAS Institute has SE, BSE, STEM and deceleration mode imaging capabilities and is also equipped with Oxford Instruments EDS and WDS. These analytical components provide complementary information in terms of elemental analysis, compositional point analysis and mapping. The SU 70 also allows reduced charge-up imaging and low voltage imaging.
