Micro Photonics offers micro-CT attachment for SEMs

-- Test & Measurement World, 5/7/2008 1:00:00 PM

The Skyscan microtomography (micro-CT) attachment for scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) produces 3-D images that reveal the internal 3-D microstructure of an object without requiring any sample preparation. The micro-CT module, from Micro Photonics, attaches to any SEM in place of a standard sample stage.

The package consists of an x-ray anode, an x-ray camera, a high-precision sample rotation stage, and Windows-based control software that includes 3-D reconstruction, morphological analysis, and realistic visualization tools.

The micro-CT works in exactly the same way as a laboratory or medical tomography system. The high-energy electron beam of the SEM is used to produce x-rays from the anode, which then pass through the sample and are collected by the camera. A series of discrete x-ray images of the object are recorded at different angles by rotating the sample in small steps. These shadow projections are combined through software to produce a complete three-dimensional interior picture of the sample.

The resultant data can be displayed as a full 3-D image of the sample’s structure or as virtual slices or sections through any plane or cut of the sample. System software provides a rich three-dimensional viewing environment with a wide range of presentation options, including rotation, changing the viewing angle, and 3-D animation. Magnification is variable and can typically resolve down to 800 nm.

Micro Photonics, www.microphotonics.com.