Historical perspective and current trends in emission microscopy, mirror electron microscopy and low-energy electron microscopy: An introduction to the proceedings of the second international symposium and workshop on emission microscopy and related techniques

• Published in: Ultramicroscopy Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 1 - 28
• Main Authors: Hayes Griffith, O., Engel, Wilfried
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.1991; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: China; Electron, positron and ion microscopes, electron diffractometers and related techniques; Europe; Exact sciences and technology; Germany; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Japan; Microscopy, Electron - history; Microscopy, Electron - trends; North America; Physics; USSR; USSR; North America; China; Europe; Japan; Germany
• ISSN: 0304-3991; 1879-2723
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-3991(91)90135-S

Emission microscopes and related instruments comprise a specialized class of electron microscopes that have in common an acceleration field in combination with the first stage of imaging (i.e., an immersion objective lens, also called a cathode lens or emission lens). These imaging techniques include photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM or PEM), electron emission induced by heat, ions, or neutral particles, mirror electron microscopy (MEM), and low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM), among others. In these instruments the specimen is placed on a flat cathode or is the cathode itself. The low-energy electrons that are emitted, reflected, or backscattered from the specimen are first accelerated and then imaged by means of an electron lens system resembling that of a transmission electron microscope. The image is formed in a parallel mode in all of the above instruments, in contrast to the image in scanning electron microscopes, where the information is collected sequentially by scanning the specimen. A brief history and introduction to emission microscopy, MEM, and LEEM is presented as a background for the Proceedings of the Second International Symposium and Workshop on this subject, held in Seattle, Washington, August 16–17, 1990. Current trends in this field gleaned from the presentations at that meeting are discussed.