Simulations and measurements in scanning electron microscopes at low electron energy

A new generation of high performance field emission scanning electron microscopes (FSEM) is now commercially available (JEOL 890, Hitachi S 900, ISI OS 130-F) characterized by an "in lens" position of the specimen where probe diameters are reduced and signal collection improved. Additionally, low voltage operation is extended to 1 kV. Compared to the first generation of FSEM (JE0L JSM 30, Hitachi S 800), which utilized a specimen position below the final lens, specimen size had to be reduced but useful magnification could be impressively increased in both low (1-4 kV) and high (5-40 kV) voltage operation, i.e. from 50,000 to 200,000 and 250,000 to 1,000,000 x respectively.At high accelerating voltage and magnification, contrasts on biological specimens are well characterized1 and are produced by the entering probe electrons in the outmost surface layer within -vl nm depth. Backscattered electrons produce only a background signal. Under these conditions (FIG. 1) image quality is similar to conventional TEM (FIG. 2) and only limited at magnifications >1,000,000 x by probe size (0.5 nm) or non-localization effects (%0.5 nm).

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Chromatic aberration and low-voltage SEM

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100127293 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 546-547

Author(s):

Zhifeng Shao ◽

A.V. Crewe

Keyword(s):

Electron Energy ◽

Low Voltage ◽

Spherical Aberration ◽

Chromatic Aberration ◽

Primary Electron ◽

Probe Size ◽

Non Local ◽

Optical Treatment ◽

Electron Microscopes ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopes

For scanning electron microscopes, it is plausible that by lowering the primary electron energy, one can decrease the volume of interaction and improve resolution. As shown by Crewe /1/, at V0 =5kV a 10Å resolution (including non-local effects) is possible. To achieve this, we would need a probe size about 5Å. However, at low voltages, the chromatic aberration becomes the major concern even for field emission sources. In this case, δV/V = 0.1 V/5kV = 2x10-5. As a rough estimate, it has been shown that /2/ the chromatic aberration δC should be less than ⅓ of δ0 the probe size determined by diffraction and spherical aberration in order to neglect its effect. But this did not take into account the distribution of electron energy. We will show that by using a wave optical treatment, the tolerance on the chromatic aberration is much larger than we expected.

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Observation of GaAs/AlAs Superlattice Structures in both Secondary and Backscattcred Electron Imaging Modes with an Ultrahigh Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010018077x ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 404-405

Author(s):

K. Ogura ◽

A. Ono ◽

S. Franchi ◽

P.G. Merli ◽

A. Migliori

Keyword(s):

Gaas Layer ◽

Objective Lens ◽

Superlattice Structure ◽

Backscattered Electron ◽

Instrumental Resolution ◽

Electron Microscopes ◽

Superlattice Structures ◽

Electron Imaging ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽

Scanning Electron

In the last few years the development of Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), equipped with a Field Emission Gun (FEG) and using in-lens specimen position, has allowed a significant improvement of the instrumental resolution . This is a result of the fine and bright probe provided by the FEG and by the reduced aberration coefficients of the strongly excited objective lens. The smaller specimen size required by in-lens instruments (about 1 cm, in comparison to 15 or 20 cm of a conventional SEM) doesn’t represent a serious limitation in the evaluation of semiconductor process techniques, where the demand of high resolution is continuosly increasing. In this field one of the more interesting applications, already described (1), is the observation of superlattice structures.In this note we report a comparison between secondary electron (SE) and backscattered electron (BSE) images of a GaAs / AlAs superlattice structure, whose cross section is reported in fig. 1. The structure consist of a 3 nm GaAs layer and 10 pairs of 7 nm GaAs / 15 nm AlAs layers grown on GaAs substrate. Fig. 2, 3 and 4 are SE images of this structure made with a JEOL JSM 890 SEM operating at an accelerating voltage of 3, 15 and 25 kV respectively. Fig. 5 is a 25 kV BSE image of the same specimen. It can be noticed that the 3nm layer is always visible and that the 3 kV SE image, in spite of the poorer resolution, shows the same contrast of the BSE image. In the SE mode, an increase of the accelerating voltage produces a contrast inversion. On the contrary, when observed with BSE, the layers of GaAs are always brighter than the AlAs ones , independently of the beam energy.

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Discoasters of the Blue Clay (Middle Miocene) of Malta and Gozo

Geological Magazine ◽

10.1017/s0016756800040942 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 115 (1) ◽

pp. 1-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Minoo Hojjatzadeh

Keyword(s):

Middle Miocene ◽

The Family ◽

Electron Microscopes ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽

Scanning Electron

SummaryTwenty-three species of the Family Discoasteraceae Vekshina, 1959 recovered from 18 samples of the Blue Clay at Fort Chambray, Gozo, and 31 samples from Fomm-Ir-Rih Bay, Malta, have been studied under light and scanning electron microscopes. Fourteen Middle Miocene species are reviewed, their stratigraphical ranges and importance as marker species discussed. Nine species are described as new. On the basis of the discoaster species present, a Middle Miocene age (NN.6 Discoaster exilis Zone – NN.7 Discoaster kugleri Zone) for the Blue Clay in Malta and Gozo is suggested.

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