LAUSR

Recent developments in SEM column design have led to the ability to produce sub-nm spot sizes even at high probe currents [1], thus pushing the imaging and analytical techniques available in the SEM to approach the resolution and capabilities of a (S)TEM-type instrument. Although the limitations of microanalysis at these spatial resolution requirements stem from the physics of beam-specimen interaction and the volume from which the signal is generated during basic bulk sample observation and microanalysis, use of very thin specimens, similar to TEM, can lead to significant improvements in both imaging microanalysis spatial resolution. This approach has been shown to be successful in for EDS analysis and has been gaining prominence for crystallographic analysis using Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) with a traditional EBSD camera [2].