High resolution backscattered electron image observation of fine structure in steel materials with a scanning electron microscope
Abstract: Recently, high performance SEMs, such as an FE-SEM and a low voltage SEM, are widely used and it is expected to apply them to advanced steel materials structure analysis appropriately. In the steel material analysis, however, old fashioned techniques are still used in sample preparations and image observations, therefore those high performance SEMs cannot demonstrate their special powers. In this article, a new sample preparation method with argon plasma by RF-GD, and a high resolution observation method for nano-scale size fine structure with low take-off angle backscattered electrons are presented as new techniques by which the recent high performance SEMs are utilized for the steel materials analysis.
Key words: Scanning Electron Microscope, RF-GD, Argon plasma, Backscattered electron, high resolution observation