Essay On Electron Microscope

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An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. Because the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, the electron microscope has a higher resolving power than a light microscope and can reveal the structure of smaller objects. Electron microscopes are used to investigate the ultrastructure of a wide range of biological and inorganic specimens including microorganisms, cells, large molecules, biopsy samples, metals and crystals. Modern electron microscopes produce electron micrographs using specialized digital cameras and frame grabbers to capture the image [216]
The original form of electron microscope, TEM uses a high voltage …show more content…

The electron beam is produced by an electron gun, commonly fitted with a tungsten filament cathode as the electron source. The electron beam is accelerated by an anode typically at +100 keV (40 to 400 keV) with respect to the cathode, focused by electrostatic and electromagnetic lenses and transmitted through the specimen. When it emerges from the specimen, the electron beam carries information about the structure of the specimen that is magnified by the objective lens system of the microscope. The spatial variation may be viewed by projecting the magnified electron image onto a fluorescent viewing screen coated with a phosphor or scintillator material such as zinc sulfide. Alternatively, the image can be photographically recorded by exposing a photographic film or plate directly to the electron beam or a fibre optic light-guide to the sensor of a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera. The image detected by the CCD may be displayed on a computer. Resolution of the TEM is limited primarily by spherical aberration, but new generations of aberration correctors have been able to partially overcome spherical aberration to increase resolution. Hardware correction of spherical aberration for the HRTEM has allowed the production of images with resolution below 0.5 angstrom (50

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