Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VPSEM)
(VPSEM image of hydrated leaf)
What Is It?
Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy is a technique used to produce high-resolution images with a high depth of field. VPSEM differs from traditional SEM in that the instrument chamber is operated at higher pressures (~10 Pa to 3,000 Pa) which allows for imaging and analysis of insulating samples without the need to apply a conductive coating.
Why Should I Use It?
This is convenient for when it is undesirable to coat a sample or the sample is too large for the coating systems.
What Do I Get Out of It?
With VPSEM, we can examine a sample’s topography, structure, and its elemental composition under magnifications of ~10X to ~20,000X. Multiple electron and x-ray detectors can be employed to expose even more information about the characteristic of a sample.
Applications Include:
- Biological samples
- Wet (hydrated) biomaterials and products
- Food products
- Plant products
- Polymers
- Textiles
- Drugs / Medications
- Electronics and electronics packaging
- Paints and inks