Operation of a channeltron image intensifier in the electron microscope

An image intensification system, based on a commercially available channeltron plate, has been constructed for a JEM 200 electron microscope. Contrast and resolution of the system is comparable to that which one obtains by direct photographic recording from the phosphor observation screen of the microscope, but with specimen current densities which are approximately a factor 200 lower than for the conventional electron microscope system. The improvement over previously reported image intensification systems based on channeltron plates is due to the removal of secondary scattered electrons and residual gas ions from the input of the intensifier.