Improving electron microscope capabilities through the design of new cold field emission electron source

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 224-225

Author(s):

A. Tonomura ◽

T. Matsuda ◽

T. Komoda

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Field Emission ◽

Electron Source ◽

Electron Gun ◽

Electron Holography ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Interference Fringes ◽

Emission Electron ◽

Electric Supply ◽

Optical Laser

Although the feasibility of electron holography has been verified by several authors, it has not yet been put to practical use. This is because of the lack of a coherent electron source, such as optical laser. In practice, the number of interference fringes produced with a biprism is 200 at most, the exception being one dimensional cases. Off-axis holography requires 5,000∼100,000 interference fringes. Therefore, the useful application of electron holography in higher resolution and phase contrast electron microscopy hinges on development of a coherent electron source capable of producing 5,000 fringes or more.To realize a coherent electron source, a 100 kV field emission electron gun was developed and attached to an electron microscope. In designing the microscope,special care was taken in the column and electric supply. This was done to minimize movement of the small beam spot, which is easily disturbed from outside, so as to maintain the field emission electron beam.

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Characteristics and Application of Temperature-Field Emitters

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100114347 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 33 ◽

pp. 144-145

Author(s):

N. Tamura ◽

T. Goto ◽

Y. Harada

Keyword(s):

Temperature Field ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Field Emission ◽

Resolving Power ◽

High Brightness ◽

Field Emitters ◽

Emission Electron ◽

Sufficient Stability ◽

Scanning Electron ◽

Illuminating System

On account of its high brightness, the field emission electron source has the advantage that it provides the conventional electron microscope with highly coherent illuminating system and that it directly improves the, resolving power of the scanning electron microscope. The present authors have reported some results obtained with a 100 kV field emission electron microscope.It has been proven, furthermore, that the tungsten emitter as a temperature field emission source can be utilized with a sufficient stability under a modest vacuum of 10-8 ~ 10-9 Torr. The present paper is concerned with an extension of our study on the characteristics of the temperature field emitters.

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A comparative study on the cold type and thermal type field emission guns used in the same electron microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100107435 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 58-59

Author(s):

M. Iwatsuki ◽

Y. Kokubo ◽

Y. Harada

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Field Emission ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Electron Source ◽

Resolving Power ◽

Optical Source ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

High Brightness ◽

Illumination System ◽

Transmission Electron

On accout of its high brightness, small optical source size, and minimal energy spread, the field emission gun (FEG) has the advantage that it provides the conventional transmission electron microscope (TEM) with a highly coherent illumination system and directly improves the resolving power and signal-to-noise ratio of the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The FEG is generally classified into two types; the cold field emission (C-FEG) and thermal field emission gun (T-FEG). The former, in which a field emitter is used at the room temperature, was successfully developed as an electron source for the SEM. The latter, in which the emitter is heated to the temperature range of 1000-1800°K, was also proved to be very suited as an electron source for the TEM, as well as for the SEM. Some characteristics of the two types of the FEG have been studied and reported by many authors. However, the results of the respective types have been obtained separately under different experimental conditions.

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