Electron microscopy conducting problems

AFM, especially when used in noncontact modes, is an ideal tool to image delicate morphological details of surfaces of polymer films [8a]. When these films are coated with gold for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), features with typical dimensions of less than —50 run become buried and may disappear from SEM images. In AFM imaging this is not a problem as no conductive coating is required. 

The Sccmning Electron Microscope (SEM) is a standard imaging technique based on electron back-scattering from the sample surface. It analyses the surfaces of solid objects, producing images with the resolution which is about order of magnitude better than that of optical microscopy (typically 10 nm). The SEM avoids the problem of thin samples (TEM) but the SEM observation requires the deposition of a thin conductive metal film on the sample surface to prevent sample charging. 

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