About the Biomedical scanning electron microscopy facility
The scanning electron microscopy facility enables the creation of ultra high-resolution images of surface topography with a large depth of focus.
Scanning electron microscopy uses a beam of electrons to scan across the surface of a sample and image the surface topography at high-resolution and with a large depth of focus.
Conventionally, the electron beam interacts with the surface of the specimen, coated with an ultrathin layer of metal, to release secondary electrons which are detected to create the image although backscattered (reflected) electrons from the scanning beam can also be detected.
The electron beam also generates X-rays from the sample which can be detected and characterised to identify and map the elemental composition of the sample. Most imaging is done using specially dried and coated samples under high vacuum, but low vacuum and environmental modes can be used on some uncoated samples.
View our scanning electron microscopy gallery.
Our ultra high resolution FEI Quanta 250 SEM is equipped with a Gatan 3View II serial block face imaging system for 3D imaging of samples.
