How Does Scanning Electron Microscopy with Cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) Work ?
The scanning electron microscope is an ideal tool in which to demonstrate this effect on small areas of samples. SEM-CL images have been acquired at length scales of less than 0.1 m to several millimeters in many minerals. Although many non-metallic minerals luminesce when the electron beam strikes them, the intensity and wavelength variation of the emission can be large. It is well known that many mineralogical materials emit at very low intensity levels which cannot be observed with any other technique.
The scanning electron microscope is an ideal tool in which to demonstrate this effect on small areas of samples. SEM-CL images have been acquired at length scales of less than 0.1 µm to several millimeters in many minerals. Although many non-metallic minerals luminesce when the electron beam strikes them, the intensity and wavelength variation of the emission can be large. It is well known that many mineralogical materials emit at very low intensity levels which cannot be observed with any other technique.
