Getting good images
Now that we have a fundamental understanding of how an SEM works, and the signals that we can generate, it is time to learn how to get the best images during your session.
Getting the best from an SEM starts with your sample preparation. If you don't take care with your sample to begin with, you won't get the best results from the SEM. You will then need to make good choices for your beam conditions, approaches to mitigate charging if your sample is not conductive, careful focussing, thoughtful setting of your image conditions, and finally taking the time to capture a high quality image.
Let's work through these one by one.