Microanalysis and Microscopy: Capabilities

Transmission Electron Microscopy

TEM utilizes an electron beam, which passes through a thin sample to reveal its morphological features. It has very high resolution (a few nanometers), so even samples such as viruses and nanofibers can be examined at magnifications exceeding 250,000. The TEM, like the SEM, has an attached energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, so the elemental composition of very small individual particles can be determined quickly and easily. The TEM is best suited for very small particles or thin samples and extends the magnification range of the SEM considerably. It can be used for imaging small particles, conducting particle size distribution measurement, determining interparticle relationships such as clumping, and providing elemental mapping (distribution of the various elements in a sample).

Contact: Owen Crankshaw