Spatial resolution in secondary-electron microscopy
R.F. Egerton, Yimei Zhu
Abstract
We first review the significance of resolution and contrast in electron microscopy and the effect of the electron optics on these two quantities. We then outline the physics of the generation of secondary electrons (SEs) and their transport and emission from the surface of a specimen. Contrast and resolution are discussed for different kinds of SE imaging in scanning electron microscope (SEM) and scanning-transmission microscope instruments, with some emphasis on the observation of individual atoms and atomic columns in a thin specimen. The possibility of achieving atomic resolution from a bulk specimen at SEM energies is also considered.
Topics & Concepts
Scanning transmission electron microscopyResolution (logic)Scanning electron microscopeSecondary electronsScanning confocal electron microscopyElectronImage resolutionConventional transmission electron microscopeOpticsElectron microscopeMaterials scienceHigh-resolution transmission electron microscopyElectron tomographyEnergy filtered transmission electron microscopyTransmission electron microscopyLow-voltage electron microscopeMicroscopyPhysicsNuclear physicsComputer scienceArtificial intelligenceElectron and X-Ray Spectroscopy TechniquesAdvanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and ApplicationsIntegrated Circuits and Semiconductor Failure Analysis