Effect of Au Coating by Ion Sputtering on SEM Morphology Observation of Ceramic Materials

A phenomenon of occurring abnormally grown Au particles on the surface of hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic materials by ion sputtering was reported for the first time. The appearance of the Au particles greatly affect our observation of the real morphology of specimens. This article discusses the cause of this phenomenon by changing the current, time and sample of gold sputtering. In order to reduce the effect of Au coating on the morphology observation of non-conductive or poorly conductive specimens in scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as obtain real and high quality SEM pictures, proper Au sputtering conditions should be selected.