News

    TECNALIA has a new field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM)

    20 May 2024

    Microscopio Eléctronico FE-SEM

    “This new resource will further increase TECNALIA’s ability to provide innovative solutions to boost the development of new materials”

    Discover the characterisation of materials on a nanometric scale with TECNALIA’s high-resolution FE-SEM electron microscope

    TECNALIA’s materialography laboratory has a new field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) that is especially suitable for surface characterisation in a wide variety of fields, from materials science to medicine and biology.

    The FE-SEM is a state-of-the-art tool that allows imaging on a nanometric scale with unprecedented resolution.

    • Its ability to perform semi-quantitative analysis at high speed makes it an indispensable tool for the characterisation of a wide variety of samples, including metallic, non-metallic and even heat-sensitive materials.
    • This microscope has a high and low vacuum configuration, which facilitates the analysis of both conductive and non-conductive samples.
    • It is also possible to work at low acceleration potentials which will allow the observation of heat-sensitive samples such as biological samples, membranes and lightweight composites.

    The field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analyses a wide range of materials

    • Metals and alloys: steel, aluminium, copper, titanium, iron, nickel, among others.
    • Ceramics and ceramic materials: metal oxides, advanced ceramics, refractory materials, glass.
    • Polymers and composites: plastics, elastomers, fibre reinforced polymers, polymer matrix composites, resins.
    • Semiconductor materials: silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, doped materials.
    • Biological materials: cells, biological tissues, viruses, bacteria.
    • Organic materials: organic compounds, synthetic materials, organic polymers.
    • Heat-sensitive materials: materials that can be affected by high temperatures, such as thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting organic materials, among others.
    • Nanostructured materials: nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, nanocomposites, materials with dimensions on a nanometric scale.

    Advantages of working with an FE-SEM

    The main advantages of working with an FE-SEM include improved spatial resolution (with highly focused high- and low-energy electron beams), higher analytical speed and the possibility to conduct non-metallic and/or heat-sensitive sample analysis.

    From identifying surface defects to studying the microstructure of materials, FE-SEM provides detailed insight that facilitates informed decision-making in product and process development.

    With the new FE-SEM, TECNALIA has strengthened its commitment to providing customers with the most advanced tools to address the most complex challenges in materials research and development.