How does the electron microscope work?

But there are actually quite a few different types of electron microscopes and they all work in different ways. The three most familiar types are called transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), and scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs). Photo: Left: Studying a specimen with a transmission electron microscope. read more

Scanning Electron Microscopy A scanning electron microscope (SEM) scans a focused electron beam over a surface to create an image. The electrons in the beam interact with the sample, producing various signals that can be used to obtain information about the surface topography and composition. read more

Here we compare two basic types of microscopes - optical and electron microscopes. The electron microscope uses a beam of electrons and their wave-like characteristics to magnify an object's image, unlike the optical microscope that uses visible light to magnify images. read more