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

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.

Hitachi Scanning Electron Microscope

1968 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 374-375
Author(s):  
T. Fujiyasu ◽  
K. Hara ◽  
H. Tamura
Keyword(s):  
Optical Axis ◽  
Electrical Potential ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
List Type ◽  
Type Number ◽  
Lens System ◽  
Mechanical Vibrations ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

The demand for scanning electron microscopes is growing rapidly and exciting new fields of application have developed for this type of instrument. Hitachi, Ltd. has developed this type of instrument the details of which are described in this paper.A three stage demagnification lens system is used in the instrument. External magnetic and electrical disturbances and mechanical vibrations have been reduced.Aperture plates with different bore diameters are located above the condenser lens and deflection coil and the objective lens to reduce contamination by the fixed apertures in these lenses. An electromagnetic stigmator is provided in the objective lens field.The specimen stage permits X-, Y- and Z- axes movements as well as rotational tilting. The rotational tilting is such that its central axis is always coincident with the optical axis independent of the X-, Y- and Z- axes movements. Terminals are also provided which permit voltage measurements and to observe the electrical potential distribution of semi conductors.

Take-off Angle Imaging: A New Image Mode for Scanning Electron Microscopy

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Barbi ◽  
Richard B. Mott
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Current ◽  
Avalanche Photodiode ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Silicon Photomultiplier ◽  
Silicon Photomultipliers ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

Traditional electron detectors for scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are the Everhart-Thornley detector located on one side of the specimen and the overhead backscattered electron detector (BSED), usually mounted under the final lens. In 2011 PulseTor introduced an efficient BSED based on scintillator/silicon photomultipler technology that is small enough to be mounted on the tip of an X-ray detector. The scintillator converts the electron signal to light, which is in turn converted to an electrical current in the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). Silicon photomultipliers were initially developed in Russia in the 1990s. The review article by Dolgoshein et al. cites much of the historical development. Following the recent work of Piemonte and others, the SiPM consists of an array of many identical and independent detecting elements (microcells) connected in parallel on a common Si substrate. Each microcell is an avalanche photodiode only tens of micrometers in size.

scholarly journals Depth Information Available from the Backscattered Electron Signal

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 8-9
Author(s):  
V.N.E. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Surface Topography ◽  
Atomic Number ◽  
Secondary Electron ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

Although the secondary electron (SE) signal is still the most commonly used signal in scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), the backscattered electron (BSE) signal is now in wide use. Imaging both atomic number and surface topography have been the major applications of BSE detectors, with some applications in channelling, magnetic contrast and similar specialized applications. Over the last few years, low voltage BSE imaging has been used for imaging surface features to a depth of a few nm. But the BSE signal contains much more information and new techniques are being developed to take advantage of its versatility.

In environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, the secondary electron signal reveals surface information not accessible by conventional backscattered electron signals

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 78-79
Author(s):  
Klaus-Ruediger Peters
Keyword(s):  
High Vacuum ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Dynamic Events ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

Environmental scanning electron microscopes (ESEM) operate at high as well as at low vacuum (<2.5 kPa: ~20 Torr) but utilize all advantages of conventional high vacuum SEM (large specimen size, high depth of focus and specimen tilt capability, TV-rate scanning for imaging dynamic events). They have the advantage of imaging wet specimens as well as insulators without the need of any specimen preparation. Previously, environmental scanning microscopy was restricted to the BSE signal collected with BSE detectors. SE signals cannot be collected with the Everhart-Thornley detector because it cannot operate at low vacuum. Using positively biased electron collectors, it is now possible to collect an SE signal. However, the origin and quality of this signal need to be further characterized.An ElectroScan ESEM was used equipped with SE and BSE detectors and operated at 7-30 kV with partial water pressures of 0.1-2.5 kPa (∼1-20 Torr).

The Characterization of Nano Materials in the FE-SEM

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 744-745
Author(s):  
Raynald Gauvin ◽  
Paula Horny
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Electron ◽  
Incident Electron Energy ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Type I ◽  
Nano Materials ◽  
Backscattered Electrons ◽  
Probe Diameter ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

The observation of nano materials or nano phases is generally performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) because conventional Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) do not have the resolution to image such small phases. Since the last decade, a new generation of microscopes is available on the market. These are the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) with a virtual secondary electron detector. The FE-SEM have a higher brightness allowing probe diameter smaller than 2.5 nm with incident electron energy, E0, below 5 keV. Furthermore, what gives FE-SEM outstanding resolution is the virtual secondary electron (SE) detector. The virtual SE detector is located above the objective lens and it is also named a through-the-lens (TTL) detector. Therefore, the SE images are mostly made up of all SE of type I and II, because those of type III, which are generated by the backscattered electrons in the chamber, are not collected.

High-Energy Backscattered Electron Imaging of Voids in Aluminum Metallizations

1991 ◽  
Vol 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Follstaedt ◽  
J. A. Van Den Avyle ◽  
A. D. Romig ◽  
J. A. Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Void Formation ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Backscattered Electron Imaging ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Al Metallization ◽  
Electron Imaging ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes

ABSTRACTBackscattered electron imaging of microcircuits in scanning transmission electron microscopes at 120 kV is shown to produce improved images of voids in passivated Al metallization lines relative to those obtained with scanning electron microscopes at ≤ 40 kV. At 120 kV, resolutions of about 0.1 μm are achieved for voids imaged beneath 1.0 μm glass overlayers. This technique allows improved characterization of microstructures for basic investigations of void formation and more accurate counting of voids in microcircuits without removing glass overlayers. Smaller voids should also be detectable with the higher voltage.

Collection efficiency and acceptance maps of electron detectors for understanding signal detection on modern scanning electron microscopy

Microscopy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-29
Author(s):  
Toshihide Agemura ◽  
Takashi Sekiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Optical Axis ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Detection Mechanism ◽  
Electron Trajectories ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Working Distance ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Scanning Electron

Abstract Collection efficiency and acceptance maps of typical detectors in modern scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) were investigated. Secondary and backscattered electron trajectories from a specimen to through-the-lens and under-the-lens detectors placed on an electron optical axis and an Everhart–Thornley detector mounted on a specimen chamber were simulated three-dimensionally. The acceptance maps were drawn as the relationship between the energy and angle of collected electrons under different working distances. The collection efficiency considering the detector sensitivity was also estimated for the various working distances. These data indicated that the acceptance maps and collection efficiency are keys to understand the detection mechanism and image contrast for each detector in the modern SEMs. Furthermore, the working distance is the dominant parameter because electron trajectories are drastically changed with the working distance.

Remarks on the application of backscattered electron imaging (BEI) to the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of biological structures

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 484-487
Author(s):  
Etienne de Harven
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Incident Beam ◽  
Spot Size ◽  
Primary Electron ◽  
Critical Point Drying ◽  
Cell Shapes ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Backscattered Electron ◽  
Electron Imaging ◽  
Scanning Electron

Biological ultrastructures have been extensively studied with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the past 12 years mainly because this instrument offers accurate and reproducible high resolution images of cell shapes, provided the cells are dried in ways which will spare them the damage which would be caused by air drying. This can be achieved by several techniques among which the critical point drying technique of T. Anderson has been, by far, the most reproducibly successful. Many biologists, however, have been interpreting SEM micrographs in terms of an exclusive secondary electron imaging (SEI) process in which the resolution is primarily limited by the spot size of the primary incident beam. in fact, this is not the case since it appears that high resolution, even on uncoated samples, is probably compromised by the emission of secondary electrons of much more complex origin.When an incident primary electron beam interacts with the surface of most biological samples, a large percentage of the electrons penetrate below the surface of the exposed cells.

Current State of Biological High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 180-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus-Ruediger Peters
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Backscattered Electrons ◽  
Lens Position ◽  
Low Voltage Operation ◽  
Signal Collection ◽  
Probe Size ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

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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