ABSTRACT
The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is fundamentally a microscope with high magnification power which gives valuable information such as external morphology, chemical composition, crystalline structure, and orientation of materials making up the sample. This information is provided by focusing high-energy electron beam to the surface of the sample so as to generate a variety of signals due to the electron-sample interaction. The advantages of SEM over traditional microscopes such as large depth of field, high resolution, control over the degree of magnification due to the usage of electromagnets rather than lenses, distinctly clear images make the scanning electron microscopy one of the most useful characterization techniques in
research today. Because of this reason, a detailed study of SEM including fundamental principles of scanning electron microscopy, basic design of SEM-electron gun, comparison of three types of electron guns, sample stage, electromagnetic lenses, detectors for all signals, image display and recording and vacuum system, interaction volume, factors affecting the image quality, sample preparation, advantages and disadvantages of SEM, and applications of SEM are reviewed in this chapter. In addition to this, illustration of SEM as a powerful tool for the morphological characterization of polymer nanocomposites and polymer-blend nanocomposites with suitable examples taken from recently reported research works have also been included in this chapter.
