scanning electron microscope

noun

: an electron microscope in which a beam of focused electrons moves across the object with the secondary electrons produced by the object and the electrons scattered by the object being collected to form a three-dimensional image on a display screen

called also scanning microscope

scanning electron microscopy noun

Examples of scanning electron microscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Provided by Sachiko Amari The picture is an image of such a grain taken by a scanning electron microscope. —Sachiko Amari, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024

His equipment includes a high-temperature furnace, a vacuum chamber built from surplus parts, and a scanning electron microscope. —IEEE Spectrum, 22 Dec. 2017

Based on the photos and description, Graham also suspected the object was a meteorite -- remnants of meteoroids that make it through the atmosphere and hit the ground -- but told WPVI that the college's scanning electron microscope would be able to tell if this was metal from space or Earth. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 May 2023

In the second, taken with a field emission scanning electron microscope, connections between exosomes are visualized. —Matías A. Loewy, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

scanning electron microscope

noun

: an electron microscope in which a beam of focused electrons moves across the object with the secondary electrons produced by the object and the electrons scattered by the object being collected to form a three-dimensional image on a display screen

called also scanning microscope

compare transmission electron microscope

scanning electron microscopy noun