In the SEM, contrast in the image is the result of variations in the volume secondary electron emission and backscatter emission which reaches the detector and serves to intensity modulate the signal for the CRT's. This emission is a function of the accelerating potential, material density, chemistry, crystallography, local charge effects, surface morphology and especially the angle of the incident electron beam with the particular surface site. Aside from the influence of object inclination, the surface morphology is the most important feature In producing contrast. “Specimen collection“ is the name given the shielding of the collector by adjacent parts of the specimen, producing much image contrast. This type of contrast can occur for both secondary and backscatter electrons even though the secondary electrons take curved paths to the detector-collector.Figure 1 demonstrates, in a unique and striking fashion, the specimen collection effect. The subject material here is Armco Iron, 99.85% purity, which was spark machined.
