Scanning electron microscope images of uncoated microfossils: applications, perspectives and limitations
- Spezzaferri, Silvia Department of Geosciences, Geology and Paleontology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Neururer, Christoph Department of Geosciences, Geology and Paleontology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Pirkenseer, Claudius Department of Geosciences, Geology and Paleontology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Grobéty, Bernard Department of Geosciences, Geology and Paleontology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
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2007
Published in:
- The Journal of Foraminiferal Research. - 2007, vol. 37, no. 3, p. 270-276
English
We present a recently developed method using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FEG) to view and photograph microfossil specimens that are not coated by conductive material. The FEG microscope provides high electron flux and offers the option to capture images at low beam voltage. Balancing incident energy with absorbed energy from the detector leads to charge-free images of non-conductive material. As an example of the application, we show images of planktonic foraminifers and ostracods obtained with this method and compare them with those obtained on the same specimens after gold coating. The method is particularly useful for illustrating holotypes, neotypes and topotypes of microfossils when an environmental scanning electron microscope is not available.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Département de Géosciences
- Language
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- English
- Classification
- Palaeontology
- License
- License undefined
- Identifiers
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- RERO DOC 8446
- DOI 10.2113/gsjfr.37.3.270
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/300478
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