SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy and expert analysis performed by highly-skilled materials engineers

At Stress Engineering, we are committed to serving our clients with the best tools and the latest technology. That’s why we offer advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging along with a full range of analysis services. We combine state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis with a comprehensive level of materials engineering expertise to help clients understand how materials perform in real world applications.

Scanning Electron Microscope

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a powerful microscope that uses electrons rather than light to form an image of objects such as fractured metal components, foreign particles and residues, polymers, electronic components, biological samples, and countless others. The shorter wavelength of electrons permits image magnifications of up to 100,000X, as compared to about 2,000X for conventional light microscopy. An SEM also provides a greater depth of field than a light microscope, allowing complex, three-dimensional objects to remain sharp and in focus. This capability reveals details that cannot be resolved by light microscopy.

SEM Services Second to None

Visualizing or scanning objects and surfaces is only a small part of what we can do. Our SEM services feature many distinct advantages over other service providers.

Large Sample Chamber

Most SEM’s can only examine an object that is a couple of inches in diameter. What sets us apart? Our SEM sample chamber can accommodate objects 7.2" in diameter, 5.3" tall, and weighing up to 18 pounds. This allows us to examine relatively large samples from the field without cutting them.

View Live SEM Images from Any Location

With our remote monitoring capabilities, we can send clients live SEM images anywhere in the world. The remote monitoring feature uses an internet connection to transmit live images from the SEM chamber. This allows clients to view the live images while conferring with our materials engineers – all from the convenience of their office, home, or elsewhere.

Chemical Analysis

The Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) system gives our engineers the ability to perform a timely, nondestructive, semi-quantitative chemical analysis of particles, corrosion products, deposits, films, or inclusions that are generally too small or difficult to analyze by more quantitative methods. With the EDS we are also capable of demonstrating how chemical elements in a sample are distributed across a region of interest.

      Evaluate the size, shape, and distribution of particles

      Identify residues, contaminants, and corrosion products

      Identify phases in metals and minerals

Identifying Crystal Structures
Using Electron Backscatter Diffraction

Defining a material’s properties is usually very difficult to accomplish and sometimes even ignored. Using an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) system our materials engineers are able to provide material analytical and characterization data that has been virtually non-existent in industry until now.

The EBSD identifies which particular phase a material is, thus allowing our engineers to determine the crystal structure of the material or basically, how the atoms are arranged. The real power of EBSD begins when combined with EDS. With the combination of chemical analysis and crystal structure, we can we can look at the chemistry and crystal structure and positively identify the phase.

Environmental Mode
Provides Optimization

Coating samples with an electrically conductive material is necessary when examining non-electrically conductive samples under high vacuum conditions. However, coating samples does not always provide optimal results. Our system is capable of examining non-electrically conductive samples without coating them using our low vacuum, environmental mode. This valuable feature allows our engineers to scan and view a variety of non-conductive, non-coated items including ceramics and polymers.

For more information on our SEM services

Contact us in Houston at
281-955-2900

View Scanning Electron Microscope Specs