This article describes target material options for sputter coaters that deposit a thin metal coating on non-conductive SEM samples. Coating a sample with a conductive metal renders an insulating sample conductive enough to minimize charging effects on the SEM image. In most cases, coating SEM samples with only a few nanometers of a metal results in crisp, clear images. Proper target material selection is dictated by overall imaging requirements, the SEM available, the specimen material being evaluated, and whether X-ray microanalysis will be required.
