A method of dynamic chromatic aberration correction in low-voltage scanning electron microscopes

Abstract

A time-of-flight concept that dynamically corrects for chromatic aberration effects in scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) is presented. The method is predicted to reduce the microscope's chromatic aberration by an order of magnitude. The scheme should significantly improve the spatial resolution of low-voltage scanning electron microscopes (LVSEMs). The dynamic means of correcting for chromatic aberration also allows for the possibility of obtaining high image resolution from electron guns that have relatively large energy spreads.