Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscopy (ASEM) of Dynamic Phenomena of Materials in Liquid

Mitsuo Suga, Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Yuji Konyuba, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Shinnosuke Iwamatsu and Chikara Sato

Abstract: We have developed an Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM), which has a sample space open to the air. In this study, materials in liquid or gas were dynamically observed with Optical Microscope (OM) and Electron Microscope (EM). We video-recorded in-situ SEM observation of limited Brownian motion and the radiateon-induced self-organization of small particles in liquid, dendritic salt crystal formation due to evaporation, electrochemical reactions in electrolytes, and melting and solidification of solder. The ASEM is expected to be applicable for various kinds of dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas.

Key words: ASEM, atmospheric pressure, dynamic observation, environmental cell, thin film