PES is proud to announce we have added a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to our growing list of onsite equipment and services. For many years, PES has offered quality and reliable SEM services to our customers, but we have relied upon leasing time on equipment with one or more of our partner suppliers. With this purchase, these services are now brought in-house. This provides us with complete control over SEM access and scheduling. Our new SEM contains some of the latest technologies regarding integrated imaging and chemical analysis, which we are excited to offer to our customers.
For those who may not be familiar with SEMs or their capabilities, it is one in a family of several electron microscopes. Conventional optical microscopes use light to image a sample. Electron microscopes use electrons to provide images of a sample instead of light. They are capable of providing high resolution and high magnification images of rough fracture surfaces, polished metallographic samples, or complex 3D shapes like powder samples. They offer increased depth of field, better image quality/resolution, and higher magnifications than optical microscopes. This unit is capable of operating under low vacuum in addition to high vacuum, which provides PES flexibility when examining samples that are not naturally conductive. It is capable of secondary electron (SE) or back-scattered electron (BSE) modes for enhanced imaging options. This new unit also contains integrated energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), which provides live chemical analysis of the field of view or specific features in the region being examined. EDS analysis permits chemical identification of phases, particles, defects or other features that are often too small to chemically analyze using conventional methods. Available EDS options include real-time spot analysis, line scans, and area mapping.
This addition expands our internal capabilities and will allow PES to better meet the growing technical needs of its clients and partners. Be on the lookout for future SEM related articles in our newsletters and social media posts!
Entry Originally Posted on 07/28/2022