Automation broadening the applications for SEM

Three emerging uses for automated scanning electron microscopes (SEM) indicate the potential of unattended SEM operation in meeting many industrial inspection requirements. In recent years, the tight integration of SEM, a computer, and analytical detectors into a single application-oriented tool has brought capabilities for new applications into the range of speed, price, compactness, and ease-of-use required for production environments. Three examples of automated SEM use look at forensics, the detection of metal inclusions, and fiber analysis.