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HOW TEM Works

A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) uses an electron beam to image the internal structure of thin samples. The beam is formed from electrons emitted by a gun and focused using electromagnetic lenses. As the beam passes through the sample, electrons interact with atoms and undergo scattering, diffraction, and energy loss. Electromagnetic lenses then focus the transmitted electrons to form an image, while diffraction patterns provide information about the sample's crystal structure. TEM allows visualization of materials' structure and composition at the nanoscale.

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20 views

HOW TEM Works

A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) uses an electron beam to image the internal structure of thin samples. The beam is formed from electrons emitted by a gun and focused using electromagnetic lenses. As the beam passes through the sample, electrons interact with atoms and undergo scattering, diffraction, and energy loss. Electromagnetic lenses then focus the transmitted electrons to form an image, while diffraction patterns provide information about the sample's crystal structure. TEM allows visualization of materials' structure and composition at the nanoscale.

Uploaded by

Ajab Gul
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HOW TEM WORKS

A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) is a powerful imaging tool


used to study the internal structure of materials at extremely high
resolution. Here's an overview of how TEM works:

1. Electron Source: TEMs use an electron gun similar to Scanning


Electron Microscopes (SEM). This electron gun emits a beam of
high-energy electrons.
2. Electron Beam Formation: The emitted electrons are accelerated
using an electric field to form a high-energy, focused electron
beam. Unlike SEMs, TEMs use electromagnetic lenses to focus
the beam onto a very fine point.
3. Sample Preparation: Samples for TEM must be very thin,
typically on the order of tens to hundreds of nanometers thick. This
thinning is achieved through a process called "sample sectioning"
or by creating thin sections using techniques like focused ion beam
(FIB) milling.
4. Sample Interaction: The focused electron beam passes through
the thin sample. When electrons interact with the sample, several
processes occur:
 Elastic Scattering: Some electrons scatter elastically as
they interact with the sample's atoms, providing information
about the sample's crystal lattice.
 Inelastic Scattering: Other electrons undergo inelastic
scattering, losing energy and creating electron-energy loss
spectroscopy (EELS) signals. This provides information
about the sample's electronic structure.
 Diffraction: When the electron beam interacts with the
crystal lattice of the sample, it undergoes diffraction, resulting
in the formation of a diffraction pattern. This pattern contains
information about the arrangement of atoms in the sample.
5. Electron Lenses and Imaging: Electromagnetic lenses within the
TEM are used to focus the transmitted electrons and to form an
image on a detector. The transmitted electrons are collected and
focused to create an electron micrograph. By scanning the
electron beam across the sample and collecting transmitted
electrons, detailed images of the sample's internal structure can be
obtained.
6. Diffraction Pattern Analysis: The diffraction pattern formed by
the interaction of the electron beam with the crystal lattice provides
information about the sample's crystallographic properties. By
analyzing this pattern, researchers can determine the crystal
structure, orientation, and defects within the sample.
7. Spectroscopy: TEMs can also be equipped with various detectors
for analyzing the energy and wavelength of the transmitted
electrons. This enables techniques like electron-energy loss
spectroscopy (EELS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS) for chemical composition analysis.
8. Image Display: The collected data is processed and displayed on
a computer monitor, allowing researchers to visualize the sample's
internal structure, crystallography, and composition at atomic or
near-atomic resolution.

TEM is a critical tool in various scientific and research fields, including


materials science, nanotechnology, biology, and chemistry, due to its
ability to provide detailed information about the internal structure and
composition of materials at the nanoscale.

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