Microprobe Design in the 1950s: Some Examples in Europe

Abstract The early days of the electron microprobe were characterized by the variety of designs emerging from different laboratories in Europe, the United States, and the USSR. Examples from Europe illustrate well the diverging trends in the evolutionary process at that time. Later, commercial pressures and a better understanding of user needs forced a rationalization on both sides of the Atlantic, to the point where only few variants have survived. These were memorable days, with scope for healthy rivalry and vigorous debate.