4. New developments in scanning electron microscopy

In recent years, steady progress has been made in the design and manufacture of scanning electron microscopes:

• to improve spatial resolution by reducing electron lens aberrations, improving detector efficiency and enhancing electron gun brilliance while reducing costs;

• to adapt its use to the electronic components industry: appropriate "object" chambers, optimized low-voltage operation;

• to facilitate management through computerization;

• to integrate the digitization of acquired images right from the design stage.

More recently, new applications have been developed using special equipment:

• automatic, methodical use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD);...