concepts
type: Collection
type: ConceptGroup
member: scanning electron microscopy

electron microscopy
type: Concept
narrower: scanning electron microscopy

scanning electron microscopy
type: Concept
broader: electron microscopy
definition: A form of microscopy used to obtain images of microstructures, which utilises an electron gun to provide a beam of electrons which can be focussed on a specimen: the smaller the area to be scanned, the greater the magnification. Unlike its predecessor, transmission electron microscopy, where the beam is passed through the sample to produce an image on a flat plate, in sem the beam scans a small area of the solid specimen and secondary electrons are detected to form an image on a screen. [Source: Encyclopedia of Environmental Change; scanning electron microscopy (SEM)]