Electron Microscopes.

An electron microscope is a piece of equipment which is used to generate

an image of microscopic matter, in great detail.

Electron Microscopes are capable of much higher magnification than light

microscopes, and have far superior resolving power, allowing the user to
see smaller objects in much greater detail.

They are large, expensive apparatus, which generally take up a whole

room, and usually require trained operators.

How do Electron Microscopes work?

1. The object which is to be scanned is contained within a sealed

vacuum chamber (The reason for this is that precise electron
beams can't travel effectively through air).
2. An anode (+ve charge) attracts the electrons and accelerates
them into an energetic beam.
3. Doing a job much like that of the lens in a light microscope, an
electromagnetic coil brings the electron beam to a very precise focus.
4. Further down the microscope, another electromagnetic coil steers
the electron beam from side to side.
5. The beam scans across the object being viewed.
6. Electrons from the beam hit the surface of the object and are
reflected back from it.
7. A detector registers these scattered electrons and turns them into
a picture.
8. A very detailed magnified image of the object is displayed on a
TV screen.

What are the disadvantages of Electron Microscopes?

 They are very expensive to initially purchase, and to maintain, after initial set-up costs.
 They are very large, and cumbersome, taking up a whole room.
 They are dynamic in their operation (this means that they require extremely stable high
voltage supplies, stable currents to each electromagnetic coil, vacuum systems which are
expensive to maintain and a cooling water supply circulation through the lenses and pumps.)
 Electron microscopes are also very sensitive to vibration, and external magnetic fields,
meaning that they can be easily damaged, thus, requiring the construction of additional
rooms, with special services, in order to contain them.
 Large amounts of training are required, in order to operate an electron microscope, and
thus, it is considered a specialised skill.
 Because the samples must be viewed in a vacuum, the preparation of said samples often
requires lengthy, difficult techniques, to ensure that the sample can withstand the
conditions inside the microscope.