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Market Snapshot: Electron Microscopy

Did you know that Galileo Galilei perfected the first device known as a microscope in 1609?

Today, microscopes enable researchers to conduct in-depth academic and exploratory research using increasingly complex methods and technologies. With the interest in life science areas such as nanoscience, pharmacology, and toxicology growing at a rapid pace, the need for advanced microscopes that employ mediums much more penetrative than light such as electron and X-ray has also increased. The rapid expansion of the global microscopy devices market is attributed to an increase in innovations and technological advancements in microscopes, focus on R&D activities by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and growth of the life science industry.

According to BCC Research, the global market for microscopes, accessories and supplies reached $7.1 billion in 2019 and should reach $9.8 billion by 2024, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% for the period of 2019-2024. The microscopy market includes several fields, such as optical microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, electron microscopy, and microscopy accessories. Growth in this market is driven largely by factors such as a favorable funding scenario for R&D in microscopy, technological advancements in microscopes, and rising focus on nanotechnology and regenerative medicine. However, the high cost of the advanced microscopes is expected to restrain the growth of this market during the forecast period.

Electron microscopes are expected to show the highest growth in this market due to the high magnification ratio, electron microscopes have vital applications in biology, material sciences, nanotechnology, and semiconductor industries. Growing R&D activities and easy availability of funds have resulted in increasing life science and material science research. This, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for electron microscopes. The growing trend of correlative light and electron microscopy is also responsible for the growth of the electron microscopes segment. Grandview Research reports that the global electron microscope market size was valued at $3.2 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% through 2025.

If electron microscopy is the fastest growing market segment, what exactly is it? Electron microscopy is used to produce high-resolution images at the atomic scale of everything from composite nanomaterials to single proteins. The technology is primarily a research tool that provides invaluable information on the texture, chemistry, and structure of advanced materials. Research in this field has focused on achieving higher resolutions over the past few decades, or in layman’s terms, being able to image materials at progressively finer levels with more sensitivity and contrast.

Presently, there are two major types of electron microscopes used in clinical and biomedical research settings: the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The TEM and SEM can also be combined in one instrument called the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The following outlines the basic principles and differences between these tools:

  • TEM:   magnifies 50 to ~50 million times; the specimen appears flat
  • SEM:   magnifies 5 to ~ 500,000 times; sharp images of surface features
  • STEM: magnifies 5 to ~50 million times; the specimen appears flat

Key firms in the electron microscopy market include Nikon Metrology Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific.; ZEISS, International; JEOL Ltd.; Angstrom Advanced Inc.; Hirox Europe Ltd.; and Hitachi High-Technologies Europe GmbH. In terms of their strategies, regional and service portfolio expansions and merger and acquisitions are a common practice in this market. For example, Thermo Fischer Scientific acquired electron microscope software console from Roper technologies in June of 2018.

Work being carried out at the National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) located at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is impacting the following areas of research:

  • Defects and deformation
  • Mechanisms and kinetics of phase transformations in materials
  • Nanostructured materials
  • Surfaces, interfaces and thin films
  • Microelectronics materials and devices

In addition to NCEM, other national labs are working on electron microscopy, Brookhaven National Lab has five top-of-the line transmission electron microscopes, Argonne National Lab is using electron and x-ray microscopy to better understand Nanoscale Dynamics, and The Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) Group of the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Lab currently operates four aberration-corrected STEMs. The Frederick National Laboratory is home to the National Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility (NCEF), which provides cancer researchers access to the latest technology for high resolution imaging, and The Electron Microscopy Laboratory (EML) at the Idaho National Lab is a user facility dedicated to materials characterization, using primarily electron and optical microscopy tools.

To learn more about research and resources, the Microscopy Society of America provides an extensive guide on its website.

 

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Fusion Energy Overview

Fusion is a potential energy source and occurs when one or more lighter elements combine to form a heavier element, releasing energy in the process. [1] Devices designed to harness this energy are known as fusion reactors. [2]   A future fusion plant could use the heat produced by the fusion reaction to produce steam to drive turbines or generators that produce electricity. [3] For almost a century, scientists around the globe have been looking to recreate and harness the power of fusion energy. [4]  

Tokamak
Source: ITER

There are two commonly pursued technologies to create and control plasma. Magnetic confinement uses strong magnets to contain plasma. A widely used configuration known as a tokamak[5] uses powerful magnets to confine the plasma within a toroidal reaction vessel, with the magnetic fields keeping the plasma away from the walls of the vessel to prevent damage and unintended cooling of the plasma.[6]  

Examples of U.S. companies developing magnetic confinement systems are Commonwealth Fusion Systems, TAE Technologies, Tokamak Energy, Helion Energy, and Thea Energy. Inertial confinement uses high-power lasers or electrical discharges to compress a small capsule of fusion fuel to extreme temperatures and pressures for a short time. This approach is used, for example, in the National Ignition Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. [7] Examples of U.S. companies developing inertial confinement systems are Xcimer Energy, Focused Energy, ZAP Energy, and Shine Technologies. In addition to these methods, several companies such as General Fusion,  are pursuing various other pathways to try to create and control fusion reactions, including a hybrid of both magnetic and inertial confinement approaches. [8]

Various fusion fuels are used to power these pursued pathways. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, once developed, first-generation fusion plants may likely use a combination of abundant deuterium and lithium as fuel. [9] Deuterium, lithium and tritium Deuterium-tritium is a highly studied fusion fuel and a likely basis for the first fusion power plants.[10] Lithium is a critical resource for fusion because of its material properties. Lithium is used to breed tritium, the key fuel for fusion. [11] The rare lithium-6 form of the metal, which makes up only 7.5 per cent of all naturally occurring lithium, is the most efficient for sustaining the fusion process. [12] Li-6 is banned in the U.S. because of the harmful mercury waste it generates. [13] So most fusion power concepts rely on “enriched” lithium, where the Li-6 content has been boosted. [14]

Several companies are investing in efforts aimed at commercializing fusion energy. [15] Many of these companies are startups that have raised over $100 million in the past few years. [16]  The global fusion energy market size is projected to reach $611.8 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 5.56% from 2025 to 2034. [17] 

Current State - Projections of the time to putting Fusion Energy on the Grid

As of October 2025, fusion reactors remain pre-commercial, with no system yet producing net energy. Fusion energy stakeholders provide varying timelines as to when fusion energy will become technically feasible as an energy source for the electrical grid and when it will become commercially viable.  Projections range from 10 years to several decades in the future. [18]   Some companies are claiming that they will achieve commercial fusion energy in the next few years[19] while other stakeholders and experts said fusion energy will take more than 20 years. The Fusion Industry Association reported that many commercial companies predict fusion industry will be commercially viable in the 2030’s time frame. [19] 

Source: The Global Fusion Industry in 2025—Fusion Industry Association

Other stakeholders and experts believe fusion energy might put electricity on the grid in 10 to 20 years, however, significant resources are required to do so.[20] The Figure below illustrates commercialization risks that fusion energy will face on the road to commercial deployment. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the aspirational timeline as shown is strongly dependent on the level of both public and private investments. [21]

Commercialization risks for fusion

Source. U.S. Department of Energy, Fusion Energy Strategy 2024

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