What type of microscope uses an electron beam to analyze the surface of samples?

The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is designed to use an electron beam to create detailed images of the surface of samples. In SEM, the electron beam scans across the surface of a specimen, and the interactions between the beam and the atoms in the sample produce signals that are used to form an image. This technique provides high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the surface topography, allowing for detailed analysis of surface structures, textures, and compositions.

Unlike the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), which transmits electrons through an extremely thin specimen to observe internal structures, SEM focuses on surface characteristics and provides a different type of information. Fluorescent microscopes utilize light to excite fluorescent dyes in specimens, allowing for imaging of specific targeted structures, and stereomicroscopes are designed for low-magnification observation of larger specimens and not for high-resolution surface analysis as SEM does.