SEM - Compared to Light Microscope SEM Home . How it Works . Speciman Prep . If it is loaded with the camera, x-ray analyzer, etc. Preparing material requires placing it on or between glass slides and can be done in your own home.
Magnification is controlled from the panel directly below the monitor.
To recognize an impurity that was not evident to the naked eye is limited by the light microscope's magnification and requires interpretation by the viewer. SEM can analyze a small area at high magnification to determine material distribution, like the surface coating on paper. The light microscope's magnification limits what the viewer can interpret. First became commercially available in the 1950's. Invented in late 1500's, used for research around mid-1600s.