Abstract：The sample excitation mode of glow discharge optical emission spectrometer was cathode sputtering and layer-by-layer separation. This character indicated that this technique could also be used in the sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM could be used to observe all phases in the coating of hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. However, some phases were too thin, so the cross section could not be observed. In this study, the surface of hot-dip galvanized steel sheet sample was sputtered by glow spectrometer. Then, the morphology of “new” surface with different thicknesses was observed by SEM, and the composition was analyzed by energy disperse spectroscopy. The aim to observe all phases in the coating of hot-dip galvanized steel sheet was realized. It indicated that glow discharge ion sputtering was a feasible method of sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy.
