I asked some suppliers for quotes, but they may be slow in responding, and figured I could get details here sooner.
Minimum 50,000x magnification, but preferably 100,000x.
Do not even look on magnifications – they are misleading at best. Pure (and shameless) marketing by benchtop manufacturers.
You need to know resolution. As far as I know only one manufacturer posted on the web resolution of its SEM, 17 nm (and maximum magnification 100,000). Other manufacturers are too shy to show their number.
Resolustion of a human eye is roughly a bit better than 200 microns. So with resolution of 17 nm we can have sharp picture at magnifications not higher than 10,000. Not more (of course we can magnify any picture to any magnification, but it will be an awful picture). All these “50,000” and “100,000” magnifications given by benchtop manufacturers are pure desire to sell their instruments to people who do not understand microscopy. Of course, if magnifications up to 10,000 are acceptable, these microscopes could be pretty useful.
It is interesting that for all other SEMs (not benchtop ones) resolution is provided as one of the most important characteristics of instrument.
Do not even look on magnifications – they are misleading at best. Pure (and shameless) marketing by benchtop manufacturers.
You need to know resolution. As far as I know only one manufacturer posted on the web resolution of its SEM, 17 nm (and maximum magnification 100,000). Other manufacturers are too shy to show their number.
Resolustion of a human eye is roughly a bit better than 200 microns. So with resolution of 17 nm we can have sharp picture at magnifications not higher than 10,000. Not more (of course we can magnify any picture to any magnification, but it will be an awful picture). All these “50,000” and “100,000” magnifications given by benchtop manufacturers are pure desire to sell their instruments to people who do not understand microscopy. Of course, if magnifications up to 10,000 are acceptable, these microscopes could be pretty useful.
It is interesting that for all other SEMs (not benchtop ones) resolution is provided as one of the most important characteristics of instrument.
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