Engineering English
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A technique that uses a focused beam of electrons to generate high-resolution images of a sample's surface topography and composition.
Example in context
“Scanning electron microscopy revealed the fracture surface morphology of the failed turbine blade.”
“Taramalı elektron mikroskopisi, arızalı türbin kanadının kırılma yüzey morfolojisini ortaya çıkardı.”
Where engineers use it
Used in failure analysis and quality control to examine microstructural features, fracture surfaces, and particle morphology at high magnification.
Synonyms: SEM
Practice: can you use “Scanning Electron Microscopy” at work?
A quality engineer notices pitting on a steel shaft. Use SEM to identify the corrosion morphology and suggest a mitigation strategy.
Show a model answer
“We will use scanning electron microscopy to characterize the coating morphology.”
“Scanning Electron Microscopy” in 21 languages
| English | Scanning Electron Microscopy |
|---|---|
| Turkish | taramalı elektron mikroskopisi |
| French | microscopie électronique à balayage |
| German | Rasterelektronenmikroskopie |
| Spanish | microscopía electrónica de barrido |
| Chinese | 扫描电子显微镜 |
| Arabic | مجهر إلكتروني ماسح |
| Portuguese | microscopia eletrônica de varredura |
| Russian | сканирующая электронная микроскопия |
| Japanese | 走査型電子顕微鏡 |
| Italian | microscopia elettronica a scansione |
| Vietnamese | kính hiển vi điện tử quét |
| Hindi | स्कैनिंग इलेक्ट्रॉन माइक्रोस्कोपी |
| Thai | กล้องจุลทรรศน์อิเล็กตรอนแบบส่องกราด |
| Indonesian | mikroskop elektron scanning |
| Korean | 주사 전자 현미경 |
| Bengali | স্ক্যানিং ইলেক্ট্রন মাইক্রোস্কোপি |
| Dutch | scanningelektronenmicroscopie |
| Swedish | svepelektronmikroskopi |
| Finnish | pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskopia |
| Ukrainian | скануюча електронна мікроскопія |
Frequently asked questions
What does Scanning Electron Microscopy mean in engineering?
A technique that uses a focused beam of electrons to generate high-resolution images of a sample's surface topography and composition. In Materials Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Scanning Electron Microscopy?
Scanning Electron Microscopy is pronounced /ˈskænɪŋ ɪˈlɛktrɑn maɪˈkrɑskəpi/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Scanning Electron Microscopy used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “Scanning electron microscopy revealed the fracture surface morphology of the failed turbine blade.”
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