I am not able to interpret the SEM analysis of my films. Can somebody help me please.
You must carry SEM of your samples again as it is not appropriate.
Sumara,
Please give us more information on what exactly your SEM sample is showing. Is this supposed to be a surface of a film or a cross-section?
As Ashaq pointed out and as you can see yourself, the quality of the pictures is not sufficient for analysis.
I suggest the following:
- get closer to your sample. your WD (Working Distance) is 16.5 mm this is more than 10x too much for what SE-Sensors usually are best at. Depending on the sensor &setup, your WD should be max 5mm
- Zoom in more. Try looking "deeper" into your sample, get a good picture quality and then you can work your way back to smaller magnifications
- decrease the voltage to 1-3kV (you now have 5kV), this can help in reducing the charging effects (bright areas) and also the movement of the sample during the scans. Also, as your polymer film is electrically insulating, try to contact it well with the conducting sample holder, for the same reasons (charging effects)
as @Torben said; the sample has to be well contacted with the sample holder (make a contact line with a conductive material between the surface of your sample and the holder ; silver, copper..). This is the most important part to get a stable sample under SEM. The choose of the detector and the voltage is also important. It is better to use the Backscatter electron detector and low voltage < 5 kV. The focus and the stigmator have also to be adjusted in order to get a sharp image.
Dear Khursheed,
What i see from the word file is charging effect even if you applied 5 kV voltage. Please check you sputtered gold/copper/carbon etc. on the samples make them conductive. If they sputtered also, you can try to increase the sputtering time or voltage.
You can use also decreased acceration voltage (lower than 5 kV), but here the type of equiptment is important, (it is field emission SEM or conventional SEM?).
Also you can use low vacuum to decrease the charging effect.
Regards,
Fatih.
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