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Electron Microscopy SEF

This facility has equipment for both Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which allows the researcher to form images of thin slices or finely divided powders of samples at a resolution of down to 0.18nm, and for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), a tool for visualizing the surface of solid samples with a resolution that can approach 1nm. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) allows the researcher to form images of thin slices or finely divided powders of samples at a resolution of down to 0.18nm. Crystal structure may be analyzed by means of electron diffraction, and chemical analysis, with a sensitivity of a few atoms and spatial resolution of about 0.5nm, may be performed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) or electron energy-loss analysis (EELS). The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) visualizes the surface of solid samples, with a resolution (depending on the application) that can approach 1nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis can be used to analyze volumes with dimensions of around 1 micron with a sensitivity of about 0.1wt%, while back-scatter electron imaging allows the visualization of regions of different composition (in many cases). Crystallographic orientation and structure can be examined using backscatter electron diffraction analysis, though sample preparation requirements for this technique are very stringent and limit the number of samples that can be studied in this way.