elektronmikroszkóp

An elektronmikroszkóp, or electron microscope, is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as its source of illumination. This is in contrast to light microscopes that use visible light. Electron microscopes can achieve much higher magnifications and resolutions than light microscopes, allowing for the observation of much finer details.

There are two main types of electron microscopes: the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). In a TEM, electrons are transmitted through an ultra-thin specimen, and the resulting image is formed by the pattern of transmission. This type of microscope is used to visualize the internal structure of a sample. In an SEM, the electron beam scans across the surface of a specimen, and the image is formed by detecting the secondary electrons or backscattered electrons that are emitted from the sample. SEMs are typically used to examine the surface topography of a sample.

The development of the electron microscope in the 1930s, notably by Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll, revolutionized microscopy and opened up new avenues of scientific research. Electron microscopes are invaluable tools in a wide range of fields, including materials science, biology, medicine, and nanotechnology, enabling scientists to study everything from viruses and cellular structures to the atomic arrangement of materials.