Specimen Preparation
There are two basic types of SEM's. The regular SEM, which we have in the Iowa State Materials Science Department, requires a conductive sample. An environmental SEM can be used to examine a non-conductive sample without coating it with a conductive material. Three requirements for preparing samples for a regular SEM such as in the Iowa State Materials Science Department are:

1) Remove all water, solvents, or other materials that could vaporize while in the vacuum.

2) Firmly mount all the samples.

3) Non-metallic samples, such as bugs, plants, fingernails, and ceramics, should be coated so they are electrically conductive. Metallic samples can be placed directly into the SEM.

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