Make: Technology on Your Time Volume 31

MY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

BY BEN KRASNOW

Cody Pickens

I decided to design and build a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in my home workshop to see if it was even possible. Spoiler alert: it is. I didn’t originally intend to create an SEM that could compare to a $75,000 entry-level commercial model, but the project turned out more successful than I expected. It produces clear, accurate images, and after some improvements that I’m currently working on, it may be practical for hobbyists to build an SEM that’s suitable for scientific research ...