Transmission Electron

Microscope (TEM)
Prepared bySiddhi Rakshe
Chandrashekhar Singh
Ashwin Kewat

Principle
The Source of illumination in TEM is electron beam. Resolution of
microscope depends on wavelength of light.
Use of light with low wavelength is responsible for increasing
resolution
The Electron Beam used in this microscope in this microscope has
wavelength of 5nm (Compared to wavelength of light rays -280nm to
8oonm)
Electrons have low penetration power, so a very thin film of specimen
can be observed
The magnification can be achieved upto 105

Construction
Transmission Electron
Microscope consists:

Power source
Electron gun
Central column (Microscope Column)
Electromagnetic lens
Fluorescence screen.
Vacuum pump

Working:
A high-voltage electricity supply powers the cathode.
The cathode is heated filament, a bit like the electron gun in an oldfashioned cathode-ray tube (CRT) TV. It generated a beam of
electrons that works In an analogous way to the beam of light in an
optical microscope.
An electromagnetic coil (The first lens) concentrates the electon into a
more powerful beam
Another electromagnetic coil focuses the beam onto a certain part of
the specimen.
The specimens sits on a copper grid in the middle of main microscope
tube. The beam passes through the specimen and picks up an
image of it.

Working (Cont.)
The projector lens (the third lens) magnifies the
image.
The image becomes visible when the electron beam
hits a fluorescent screen at the base of the machine.
This is analogous to the phosphorscreen at the front
of an old-fashioned TV.
The image can be viewed directly (through a viewing
portal), through binoculars at the side, or on a TV
monitor attatched to an image intensifier

Appication of TEM
TEMs are capable of imaging at a significantly
higher resolution than light microscopes, owing to the small
wavelength of electrons. This enables the instrument's user
to examine fine
TEM forms a major analysis method in a range of scientific
fields, in physical, chemical and biological sciences. TEMs
find application in cancer research, virology, materials
science as well as pollution,nanotechnology,
and semiconductor research.

Advantages of TEM
TEMs offer the most powerful magnification, potentially over one
million times or more
TEMs provide information on element and compound structure
Images are high-quality and detailed
TEMs are able to yield information of surface features, shape, size
and structure in 3D

Disadvantages of TEM
Images are black and white
Electron microscopes are sensitive to vibration and electromagnetic
fields and must be housed in an area that isolates them from possible
exposure
TEMs are large and very expensive
Samples are limited to those that are electron transparent, able to
tolerate the vacuum chamber and small enough to fit in the chamber

Thank you