Electronic Microscopy General and Specific Notions

Abstract Electronic microscopy (EM) plays a key role in the characterization of catalysts. The understanding of some aspects of these techniques becomes a sine qua non condition in catalysis. Although the literature is relatively wide in fundamentals and applications. 

Increase and resolution are important concepts in microscopy. No use obtains large increases if there is no good resolution. But one has to distinguish resolution of resolving power. While resolution means the smallest distance that one can distinguish between two points, resolving power is, for a given instmment, the ability to resolve details of the observed material, and it is represented as the inverse of resolution measure. 

When focusing on the sample, the primary beam interacts with the atoms of the material and causes scattering and various emissions, including secondary electrons (SE), backscattered electrons (BSE), and characteristic X-rays (Fig. 12.2, [7, 8]). 

These three types of radiation are usually significant for SEM analyzes, and the apparatus are equipped with detectors, able to collect the signals. 

---

Ted Pella, Inc. http //www.tedpella.com/grids html/grids.htm 284 12 Electronic microscopy general and specific notions. 

---