Electron microscopy in materials science a historical perspective

Conference item

This year is the centenary of J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron. But it also marks the 70th anniversary of the discovery of electron diffraction by his son G. P. Thomson, and independently by Davisson and Germer. These two discoveries provided the foundation for the development of the electron microscope, first achieved by Knell and Ruska in 1931. While initially the main applications of electron microscopy were thought to be in biology, in the event the applications in materials science were found to be equally important. The electron microscope has enabled the materials scientist not only to determine surface structure at higher resolution than is possible by optical microscopy, but also to see inside materials down to the atomic level. Over the last 40-50 years the TEM has undergone spectacular development; today it provides the materials scientist with a tool of great power and versatility, combining microscopy, diffraction and microanalytical facilities. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), which as a working instrument was developed rather later than the TEM, has also proved itself to be a powerful and indispensable tool in Materials Science. The impact of electron microscopy in materials science has been far-reaching. The microstructure of materials is highly complex, and can be modified by processing to provide suitable materials properties Direct observations of microstructures are essential in the development of the underlying science controlling properties, and of the processing routes necessary to achieve optimum properties.

Authors: Hirsch, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: ELECTRON
• Pages: 64-81
• Publication date: 1998-01-01
• Event title: International Centennial Symposium on the Electron
• ISBN: 1861250517
• Keywords: RESOLUTION; DIFFRACTION