Scanning Electron Microscopy
| PhenomXL G2 SEM | Phenom ProX SEM | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 | |
| Magnification Range: | 360x to 190,000x | 40,000x to 100,000x |
| Feature Resolution: | < 500nm | < 500nm |
| Detectors: | Secondary (SED) & Backscatter (BSD) | Backscatter only |
| Capabilities: | EDS, AIM, 3DRR | EDS |
| Sample Dimensions: | <3cm tall, no magnetic samples | <2.5cm in diameter, <3cm tall, no magnetic samples |
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) uses an electron beam than scans across a sample, allowing for much higher magnifications compared to optical microscopy. The electrons are reflected off the sample (either elestically or ineleastically) and collected by a detector, yielding an image. The MILL currently owns two benchtop SEM systems: an older Phenom ProX and a new PhenomXL G2 (acquired May 2021). Both SEMs have backscattered electron detectors (BSD) for imaging and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) systems for elemental identification. The new PhenomXL contains an additional secondary electron detector (SED), which gives the images it captures better depth of field.