Advanced detector signal acquisition and electron beam scanning for high resolution SEM imaging

TitleAdvanced detector signal acquisition and electron beam scanning for high resolution SEM imaging
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsLenthe WC, Stinville JCharles, Echlin MP, Chen Z, Daly S, Pollock TM
JournalUltramicroscopy
Volume195
Pagination93–100
ISSN18792723
KeywordsHigh resolution digital image correlation, Image processing, Imaging defects, Scan generator, Scanning electron microscopy, SEM
Abstract

The advancement of materials science at the mesoscale requires improvements in both sampling volumes/areas and spatial resolution in order to make statistically significant measurements of microstructures that influence higher-order material properties, such as fatigue and fracture. Therefore, SEM-based techniques have become desirable due to improvements in imaging resolution, large sample handling capability, and flexibility for in-situ instrumentation. By using fast sampling of SEM electron detector signals, intrinsic beam scanning defects have been identified that are related to the response time of the SEM electron beam deflectors and electron detectors. Mitigation of these beam scanning defects using detector sampling approaches and an adaptive model for settling time is shown to produce higher resolution SEM images, at faster image acquisition times, with a means to quantify the different response functions for various beam deflectors and detectors including those for electrons and ions.

URLhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2018.08.025
DOI10.1016/j.ultramic.2018.08.025