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Information depth in backscattered electron microscopy of nanoparticles within a solid matrix
- Source :
- Materials Characterization. 138:145-153
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Measuring the dimensions and number density of nanoparticles dispersed in a solid matrix is usually accomplished via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which suffers from high cost, low throughput, and small analytical volume. In comparison, scanning backscattered electron microscopy is inexpensive, requires little sample preparation, and allows for the analysis of large sample areas. However, the information depth is usually not known precisely and depends on several factors such as the composition of the nanoparticles and the matrix as well as the size of the nanoparticles, hindering the reconstruction of the actual size distribution and three-dimensional number density. Here we present a method to estimate the information depth for spherical nanoparticles of different sizes in order to accurately determine size distribution and number density. The approach is based on Monte Carlo simulation of electron trajectories in the material and analysis of the obtained backscattered electron signal-to-noise-ratio. Our experimental results are compared to those obtained via TEM and good agreement is demonstrated; this shows that TEM can be replaced by scanning electron microscopy for studying nanocomposites in many cases.
- Subjects :
- 010302 applied physics
Materials science
Number density
Scanning electron microscope
Mechanical Engineering
Monte Carlo method
Nanoparticle
02 engineering and technology
Electron
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Condensed Matter Physics
01 natural sciences
Molecular physics
Matrix (chemical analysis)
Mechanics of Materials
Transmission electron microscopy
0103 physical sciences
Microscopy
General Materials Science
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10445803
- Volume :
- 138
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Materials Characterization
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........523956d12660cd6ff64d151b16e4c759