What Are the Advantages of a FE-EPMA or FE-SEM (Even When Not Analyzing Submicron Features at Low kV and High Beam Current)?

Abstract Field emission electron probe microanalyzers (EPMA) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) have improved in both the hardware and software. They have become workhorse instruments for imaging secondary (SE) and backscattered (BSE) electrons. Recent advancements in technology provide qualitative quantitative analysis and X-ray maps at lower kVs and higher beam current without significantly enlarging the beam diameter. On EPMAs and SEMs with W and LaB6 electron guns, spatial resolution for microanalysis was ∼1 micron. Now, with field emission (FE) guns, resolution of 300 nm for quantitative analysis and mapping of elements well below 100 nm are possible. Software has also become more user-friendly and has advanced automation algorithms that allow the “non-expert” EPMA user to collect data. However, the best part of automation sits in the user’s chair. The new EPMAs and SEMs can collect very good data, but if they don’t answer the question that is being asked, they have no use.