The Scanning Electron Microscope is a particolar type of microscope used in ceramic labs for in-depth analyses of the material.

The tool produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with atoms in the sample, producing various signals that contain information about the surface topography and composition of the sample.

The result is a black and white image marked by high resolution and great depth of field. The image is similar to those of a normal photos and for this reason SEM images are clearly intelligible and intuitive to understand. Since the tool uses electrons as a source of illumination instead of light (optical microscope), it develops higher resolution images.

Among the several uses, SEM is particularly suitable for analysing the composition of the ceramic material and checking the presence of porosity or defects such as holes, pinholes, etc.