Applications
Scanning electron microscopy -Images, applications and developments

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) routinely enables high magnification observation of the microstructures of materials prepared by polishing and appropriate etching. In most cases, metallographic etching hollows out grain boundaries and interfaces between phases, and/or dissolves each phase differently. It thus creates a significant micro-relief, easily observable with secondary electron imaging. In this way, it complements optical microscopy to distinguish...