Electron microscopy as an analytical tool

In a simple electron microscope, a primary beam of electrons is produced using a conventional electron gun, where a heated cathode, maintained at ground potential, emits electrons which are drawn out by a positive potential (typically 30 kV) to form a high energy electron beam. This beam is easily electrostatically and/or magnetically focused (since electrons are charged particles) to a few microns across, and can be directed to any point on the sample by a series of magnetic lenses. The system must be evacuated to reduce attenuation and scatter of the electron beam. When an electron beam strikes the sample, a number of processes take place (Fig. 5.6 Pollard and Heron 1996 51). 

As with XRF, electron microscope-based microanalysis is relatively-insensitive to light elements (below Na in the periodic table), although this can be improved upon with developments in thin-window or windowless detectors which allow analysis down to C. It is better than XRF because of the high vacuum used ( 10-8 torr), but a fundamental limitation is the low fluorescent yield of the light elements. As with XRF analysis it is surface sensitive, since the maximum depth of information obtained is limited not by the penetration of the electron beam but by the escape depth of the fluorescent X-rays, which is only a few microns for light elements. In quantitative analysis concentrations may not add up to 100% because, if the surface is not smooth, some X-rays from the sample may be deflected away from the detector. It may be possible in such cases to normalize the concentration data to 100% if the analyst is certain that all significant elements have been measured, but it is probably better to repeat the analysis on a reprepared sample. 

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