New methods of sample preparation for modern scanning electron microscopy

Modern scanning electron microscopes (SEM) are equipped with a very sophisticated detection system that allows the detection of signal electrons by several differently located detectors simultaneously. Signal electrons are filtered according to energy and angle. Effective signal filtering in SEM together with the possibility of using very low impact energies of the primary beam leads to the extreme sensitivity of this method to the quality of the sample surface. Current metallographic methods of sample preparation are becoming insufficient for advanced imaging in modern SEM instruments. Classical sample preparation proves to be completely unsuitable especially for low-voltage scanning electron microscopy. The work will present the first results of the influence of preparation methods on the surface condition and the possibility of differentiating the individual phases of TRIP steel using advanced electron microscopy techniques. The possibilities of new procedures using robotics will be shown