The electron microscopy course comprises of a series of lectures followed by the practical hands-on sessions. These practical sessions will take up a significant portion of time on the workshops, to maximise your experience with the instrumentation. In these you will learn the optimal methods of sample preparation for best imaging or elemental analysis, plus the best conditions for operating the microscopes for different sample types. The topics broadly covered in the lectures and practical sessions are:
• The basics of electron microscopy: Microscope types (SEM vs TEM) and details of how they operate, including factors such as magnification vs resolution, electron surface interactions and sample considerations
• Practicalities of electron microscopy: Electron emitter types, making adjustments to the electron beam and sample chamber configurations, plus choosing the best detectors for different analysis scenarios and considerations in using high resolutions
• Performing elemental analysis: The fundamental theory, spectrometer types and capabilities, sample considerations, types of analysis and interpretation
