Editing Electron microscope (section)

== Disadvantages ==
[[File:Jeol_Transmission_and_scanning_EM.jpg|right|thumb|[[JEOL]] transmission and scanning electron microscope made in the mid-1970s]]
Electron microscopes are expensive to build and maintain. Microscopes designed to achieve high resolutions must be housed in stable buildings (sometimes underground) with special services such as magnetic field canceling systems.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Song YL, Lin HY, Manikandan S, Chang LM |date=March 2022 |title=A Magnetic Field Canceling System Design for Diminishing Electromagnetic Interference to Avoid Environmental Hazard |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |volume=19 |issue=6 |pages=3664 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19063664 |pmc=8954143 |pmid=35329350 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The samples largely have to be viewed in [[vacuum]], as the molecules that make up air would scatter the electrons. An exception is [[Liquid-Phase Electron Microscopy|liquid-phase electron microscopy]]<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Williamson MJ, Tromp RM, Vereecken PM, Hull R, Ross FM |date=August 2003 |title=Dynamic microscopy of nanoscale cluster growth at the solid-liquid interface |journal=Nature Materials |volume=2 |issue=8 |pages=532–536 |bibcode=2003NatMa...2..532W |doi=10.1038/nmat944 |pmid=12872162}}</ref> using either a closed liquid cell or an environmental chamber, for example, in the [[environmental scanning electron microscope]], which allows hydrated samples to be viewed in a low-pressure (up to {{convert|20|Torr|kPa|lk=in|abbr=on|disp=or}}) wet environment. Various techniques for [[in situ electron microscopy]] of gaseous samples have been developed.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Gai PL, Boyes ED |date=March 2009 |title=Advances in atomic resolution in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy and 1A aberration corrected in situ electron microscopy |journal=Microscopy Research and Technique |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=153–164 |arxiv=1705.05754 |doi=10.1002/jemt.20668 |pmid=19140163}}</ref>

Samples of hydrated materials, including almost all biological specimens, have to be prepared in various ways to stabilize them, reduce their thickness (ultrathin sectioning) and increase their electron optical contrast (staining). These processes may result in ''[[Visual artifact#In microscopy|artifacts]]'', but these can usually be identified by comparing the results obtained by using radically different specimen preparation methods. Since the 1980s, analysis of [[Cryofixation|cryofixed]], vitrified specimens has also become increasingly used .<ref name="Adrian-1984">{{cite journal |vauthors=Adrian M, Dubochet J, Lepault J, McDowall AW |year=1984 |title=Cryo-electron microscopy of viruses |url=https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_BEC796503260.P001/REF.pdf |journal=Nature |type=Submitted manuscript |volume=308 |issue=5954 |pages=32–36 |bibcode=1984Natur.308...32A |doi=10.1038/308032a0 |pmid=6322001}}</ref><ref name="Sabanay-1991">{{cite journal |vauthors=Sabanay I, Arad T, Weiner S, Geiger B |date=September 1991 |title=Study of vitrified, unstained frozen tissue sections by cryoimmunoelectron microscopy |journal=Journal of Cell Science |volume=100 |issue=1 |pages=227–236 |doi=10.1242/jcs.100.1.227 |pmid=1795028}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kasas S, Dumas G, Dietler G, Catsicas S, Adrian M |date=July 2003 |title=Vitrification of cryoelectron microscopy specimens revealed by high-speed photographic imaging |journal=Journal of Microscopy |volume=211 |issue=Pt 1 |pages=48–53 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01193.x |pmid=12839550}}</ref>

Many samples suffer from [[radiation damage]] which can change internal structures. This can be due to either or both [[Radiolysis|radiolytic]] processes or ballistic, for instance with [[Collision cascade|collision cascades]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Egerton |first=R. F. |last2=Li |first2=P. |last3=Malac |first3=M. |date=2004-08-01 |title=Radiation damage in the TEM and SEM |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0968432804000381 |journal=Micron |series=International Wuhan Symposium on Advanced Electron Microscopy |volume=35 |issue=6 |pages=399–409 |doi=10.1016/j.micron.2004.02.003 |issn=0968-4328}}</ref> This can be a severe issue for biological samples,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Glaeser |first=Robert M. |date=1971-08-01 |title=Limitations to significant information in biological electron microscopy as a result of radiation damage |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022532071801181 |journal=Journal of Ultrastructure Research |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=466–482 |doi=10.1016/S0022-5320(71)80118-1 |issn=0022-5320}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Baker |first=Lindsay A. |title=Chapter Fifteen - Radiation Damage in Electron Cryomicroscopy |date=2010-01-01 |work=Methods in Enzymology |volume=481 |pages=371–388 |editor-last=Jensen |editor-first=Grant J. |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0076687910810158 |access-date=2025-05-15 |series=Cryo-EM Part A Sample Preparation and Data Collection |publisher=Academic Press |doi=10.1016/s0076-6879(10)81015-8 |last2=Rubinstein |first2=John L.}}</ref>