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A simple method for the acquisition of high‐quality digital images from analog scanning electron microscopes
Author(s) -
Andreas Gebert,
Gerd Preiss
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.1998.00380.x
Subject(s) - computer science , image quality , software , computer graphics (images) , computer vision , digital imaging , digital image , analog image processing , noise (video) , personal computer , image processing , digital image processing , grey scale , microscope , artificial intelligence , computer hardware , optics , image (mathematics) , physics , programming language
A method is described for converting video signals of analog scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) into digital images of high quality. A plug‐in card commercially available for personal computers is used for the on‐line analog/digital conversion. A Windows application program written by the authors, together with low‐level software drivers supplied with the plug‐in card, allow digital images to be recorded, to be displayed simultaneously on the computer monitor and to be saved as a file in a standardized format. Compared to conventional photographic images obtained from the SEM camera system, the digital images possess superior sharpness of outline, excellent image definition, diminished noise and well‐defined grey‐scale tones. This method provides SEM images of high quality for less than $1000 from most older analog SEMs. In addition, the advantages of digital image processing can be applied to analog SEMs, including contrast enhancement, digital filtering and multichannel recording.