[en] The physical phenomena which form the basis of the secondary ionic emission are briefly described. A few types of apparatuses which use this kind of source are presented and some applications as well as the problems posed by the analysis and the operating methods developed to overcome them are described

[en] The use of scanning electron microscopy in semiconductors opens up a large field of use. The operating modes lending themselves to the study of semiconductors are the induced current, cathodoluminescence and the use of the potential contrast which can also be applied very effectively to the study of the devices (planar in particular). However, a thorough knowledge of the mechanisms of the penetration of electrons, generation and recombination of generated carriers in a semiconductor is necessary in order to attain a better understanding of the operating modes peculiar to semiconductors

[en] This book is composed of three parts: (1) general courses on electron optics, electron emission, interactions between electrons and matter, X ray emission, X ray spectrometry, application of statistical methods in microanalysis, automation, (2) courses relating to particular disciplines: biology, geology, semiconductors, thin samples, metallurgy, (3) course on other microanalytical methods: spectroscopy of losses of energy in transmitted electrons, the laser probe in emission spectrography, the nuclear microprobe, the utilisation of Auger electrons, the analysis by secondary ionic emission

[en] The X ray spectrum emitted by a target bombarded by a suitably accelerated beam of electrons mainly comes from the inelastic interactions between incident electrons and target atoms. The X spectrum comprises (a) the continuous spectrum (also called bremsstrahlung) constituted by a continuous distribution of the intensity depending on the wave length and (b) the characteristic spectrum represented by a series of rays of variable intensity and discrete wave length (Compton and Allison - 1935)

[en] The nuclear microprobe is an instrument bringing into use the main nuclear or atomic interactions generated by charged particles, suitably focused, emanating from Van de Graaff type accelerators, to wit: direct atomic excitation (emission of characteristic X ray radiation), elastic scattering of incident projectiles, the nuclear reactions induced by them. It is designed for spot analyses, and hence enables images to be obtained of the distribution of the elements detected on the surface of the samples examined

[en] The principal metallurgical uses of the scanning electron microscope and the microprobe described here employ images obtained on a CRT from an electron signal or X rays. The various electron signals are the back scattered electrons, secondary electrons and absorbed electrons. The differences in the intensity of thee signals with the acceleration tension E₀, the inclination angle β, the atomic number Z of the target and any potential applied to the sample give rise to contrasts: atomic number contrast, given by the sample current or the back scattered electrons; topographical contrast, given by the emission of the secondary electrons Δ that vary with α (the angle between the normal to the surface and the direction of the incident beam)

[en] The primary electron bombardment induces the emission of back scattered or secondary electrons. Their intensity is high against that corresponding to Auger electrons. This is why Auger spectrometry extended as from 1967 only, when Harris finalized a system of energy modulation of the primary electron beam making it possible to obtain on the derived curve dN(E)/dE = f(E) a satisfactory signal to background ratio for a primary electron beam intensity in the vicinity of a microampere. It is the value of this signal to background ratio that limits the sensitivity of the Auger spectrometric system: 0.1 to 1% according to the elements

[en] The determination of the mass concentration of the components of a sample is the subject of the following discussions: selection of lines, choice of the acceleration tension of the electrons, selection of the beam current, selection of the control sample, determination of the intensities of the emerging characteristic radiation. Two kinds of correction methods may be considered. The relative ease of the 2AF method and the satisfactory results that ensue mean that this correction method is much employed in the analysis of massive targets. This is a completely analytical technique, several versions of which have been programmed on the computer

[en] The purpose of this course is to ensure that the origin of the quantities handled in mycroanalysis and in electron microscopy is correctly understood. The quantum theory of diffusion makes it possible to give the physical foundations of the diffusion cross section, ionization and slowing down fondamental formulations. The developments which follow concern solely amorphous materials, therefore the interaction of a flux of incident particles and a diffusing centre (atom) contained in the unit volume will be considered. The plasmons, linked to the collective oscillations of valency electrons; the phonons, asociated with the thermal movement of a periodical structure and, in general, the diffraction phenomena will not be dealt with here. The general knowledge having been acquired, it is necessary to become familiar with its practical uses and the Monte-Carlo technique, because of its flexibility, is particularly suitable for reaching this objective. Its principle will be described and the model of electron penetration in a semi-infinite target and in thin samples will be developed in succession

[en] Among the various signals which, in a transmission electron microscope, result from the interactions between the primary beam of well defined energy E₀ and the sample, the spectrum of the energy distribution of the electrons transmitted contains useful informations on the chemical and physical properties of the sample. Consequently the adaptation of an energy dispersive system on an electron microscope enables new fields of research to be investigated, particularly a localised chemical analysis technique with a space resolution scale equal to that of the electron microscope. It is this second aspect that we suggest describing in particular here. Already, this technique appears to be indispensable in the problems arising from the analysis of very small quantities of matter: detection limits in the order of 10^-19 to 10^-20 g (around 100 to 1000 atoms) would seem to be resonably possible