The scanning electron microscope and its fields of application

Abstract

Experience with the scanning electron microscope has shown that there are fields of application where this instrument has distinct advantages over the conventional transmission microscope (with or without replicas) and the reflexion electron microscope. For example, there are specimens which are too thick to be viewed by direct transmission and which nevertheless do not lend themselves readily to the construction of replicas, either because they are too fragile, because their surfaces are undercut so that the replica would be keyed to them or because observation of the specimen at high temperatures is desired. The paper gives examples of the use of the scanning microscope in such cases and shows that the images produced are very similar in character to those obtained with optical microscopes. In particular, a pronounced three-dimensional effect is observed.