Microscopes and Collections
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope with EDS Laboratory
Introduction
Scanning electron microscopes use electrons instead of light to form an image. SEM imaging provides:
• very high magnification, which can resolve features down to a nanometer,
• excellent depth of field allowing clear viewing of 3D samples,
• very high resolution,
• easy sample preparation, often in a non-destructive way allowing analysis of conductive and non-conductive samples,
• analysis of elemental content.
The Philips-FEI Quanta 200 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and an Oxford Energy Dispersive Spectrophotometer (EDS) unit within the Petroleum Geosciences has the capability to image non conductive samples without coating. This allows viewing of the surface of a rock, mineral or other sample without hiding any details or altering the composition.
