REM – Scanning Electron Microscope

With the scanning electron microscopy a finely focussed electron beam is guided in a raster pattern over the surface of the object to be examined. The electrons that are released by the interactions on the surface are detected and converted into an image. The scanned raster can be applied very finely, which results in images with high resolution and depth of field.

In combination with energy dispersive (EDX) or wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDX), the scanning electron microscopy can be applied for various applications. Both methods detect the element-specific X-rays resulting from excitation. The EDX allows a simultaneous detection of multiple wavelengths. With the WDX one wavelength is observed at a time.