Recent Blogs
Cone Beam CT vs. Oblique CT: Choosing the Right X-Ray Inspection Technique for 3D Analysis
Recent Blogs Cone Beam CT vs. Oblique CT: Choosing the
Compact vs. High-End EBSD Systems: A Performance Comparison of Detector Technologies
Recent Blogs Compact vs. High-End EBSD Systems: A Performance Comparison
SEM: Low Vaccuum vs. High Vacuum Imaging – Webinar
Recent Blogs 5 Key Takeaways from Our Webinar: Low Vacuum
What Happens When Elves Discover Surface Metrology?
Recent Blogs What Happens When Elves Discover Surface Metrology? Candy
2025 Equipment Tax Benefits to Consider
Recent Blogs Equipment Tax Benefits for 2025! Is Now the
Overcoming Challenges of Imaging Non-Conductive Samples in Electron Microscopy [SEM Technical Note]
In standard high-vacuum electron microscopy, accurate imaging of non-conductive materials poses difficulties due to charge accumulation and overexposure. Typically, a conductive coating is applied to aid in grounding, but what if coating the sample is undesirable?
Â
Introducing Low-Vacuum SEM
Low-vacuum electron microscopy that effectively mitigates charge build-up on insulating samples without requiring any special pretreatment. By allowing a controlled amount of atmospheric gases into the chamber, additional pathways for electrons to escape the specimen are created. This approach not only prevents charge accumulation but also enables higher resolution imaging by allowing a higher e-gun voltage to be applied to the insulating specimen.
Low-Vacuum SEM Effectiveness
To demonstrate the effectiveness of Low-Vacuum SEM, consider the example of a pine wood sample.
Under standard conditions, the sample quickly accumulates charge and suffers beam damage even within seconds of exposure to a 10kV accelerating voltage.
However, when imaged under low-vacuum conditions, the pine wood sample exhibits no charge accumulation, resulting in improved contrast and finer details, thanks to the application of a higher energy 20kV beam and reduced charge accumulation.
Additional Low Vacuum Images & Applications
Here is an example of a paper towel imagied with High Vacuum, and no coating
Here is the same example imaged High Vacuum, and coated with a thin layer (5nm) of gold
Here is the same sample imaged at Low Vacuum showing a more detailed clearer image.
Need Help with Your Application!
Complete the form on this page, and a JH team member will be in touch. Simply click the “Contact Us” button in the bottom right of this page.