Working with the ESEM at high temperature

Working with the (Environmental) Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) at high temperature has been a long lasting goal for many researchers and remains to this day a difficult technique to operate efficiently. This article describes the properties of several different furnaces developed over the past 40 years, focusing specifically on the operation of the high temperature stage associated with the ESEM. Guidelines and advices for correct use of these systems are provided regarding the experience of the authors. A focus on sintering studies illustrates the main difficulties to implement this experimental technique.