Exploitation of Contrasts in Low Energy SEM to Reveal True Microstructure

0436805 - ÚPT 2015 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Müllerová, Ilona - Mikmeková, Šárka - Mikmeková, Eliška - Pokorná, Zuzana - Frank, Luděk
Exploitation of Contrasts in Low Energy SEM to Reveal True Microstructure.
Microscopy and Microanalysis. Roč. 20, S3 (2014), s. 858-859. ISSN 1431-9276. E-ISSN 1435-8115
R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TE01020118; GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1212; GA MŠMT ED0017/01/01
Institutional support: RVO:68081731
Keywords : scanning low energy electron microscopy * contrast * cathode lens
Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering
Impact factor: 1.872, year: 2014

We have developed a Scanning Low Energy Electron Microscope (SLEEM) based on the Cathode Lens (CL) principle. A resolution of 4.5 nm at 20 eV, 0.8 nm at 200 eV and 0.5 nm at 15 keV primary beam energy can nowadays be obtained in a commercially available instrument. One of the main advantages of operation at low energies is the decrease in the interaction volume from approximately 1 μιη at 10 keV to 10 nm at 100 eV. The material contrast can be optimised and the charging effect suppressed at a tailored electron energy. Wave-optical contrasts are also available beneath 50 eV. The specimen may be immersed in a strong magnetic field in addition to an electrostatic field in order to obtain a small spot size across the whole energy range. The same fields influence the signal trajectories, so we can choose which part of the angular and energy distributions of emitted electrons are to be collected. Certain arrangements provide strong crystallographic contrast. Imaging conditions have been tailored to various material types. Experiments have been performed in an experimental ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) SLEEM and in an XHR SEM Magellan 400L.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0240464