The Office of VP for Research | Electron Microscopy Unit

The Electron Microscopy Unit was established as one of major research facilities provided by Qatar University to serve those students and faculty who pursue advanced research projects utilizing electron microscopic techniques. The unit has constantly been used since 1992. It has two electron microscopes, a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Philips CM12, with resolution of 0.35 nm and a screen magnification of X750K and a FEI Quanta 200 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) with a resolution of 5 nm and a magnification X200K. The Scanning Microscope is also equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX) for semi quantitative analysis of elements. A number of specimen preparation equipment are available for material and biological samples.

Instruments available	Principle and General Applications
Environmental Scanning electron microscope (ESEM) FEI Quanta 200 + EDAX (EDS microanalysis system	Study the surface morphology of a wide range of specimens, with use in biological, biomedical and material sciences. It is also capable of elemental microanalysis. It has the ability to magnify typically to 250,000 times. Micro-surface structure of biological and material samples in three dimensions. Operational in three modes 1. low vacuum 2. high vacuum 3. ESEM mode, allowing to examine even uncoated biological and biomedical samples Capable of resolving 4 nm at 30 kV in high vacuum, it has secondary and backscattered electron detectors for enhanced imaging of all types of samples. In the ESEM mode imaging is possible in wet state without significant sample preparation, beneficial in biology, ceramics and forensics. ESEM is equipped with EDAX (EDS microanalysis system), which allows users to conduct semi-quantitative bulk chemical analysis and map the distribution of different elements in a sample.
Transmission electron microscope (TEM) Phillips CM12	The TEM is a very powerful and versatile instrument that is capable of characterizing the internal structure of a wide variety of biological, material and biomedical specimens. Applications: Invaluable in diagnosing pathological diseases in human and veterinary medicine Used in ultra- structural studies in classical biology and biomedical research. Life science applications include botanical and physiological research, as well as biotechnology and proteomics. Valuable tool for studies in bacteriology and virology Crystallography of materials by using electron diffraction. Imaging of microstructure and lattice defects.