Relation between Temperature and Line‐Scan Profile of a Spherical Nanoparticle under an Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is primarily used for imaging observation rather than as a tool for thermometry. This study explores the temperature‐dependent electron emission with a main focus on the line‐scan profile of two systems: one consisting of beryllium (Be) nanospheres (Be‐NS) and another consisting of gold (Au) NS (Au‐NS) on a Be substrate using Monte Carlo simulation. The relations between two types of electron signals with the temperature and the sample size at different primary electron (PE) energies are first recorded. This study concludes that the shape of the secondary‐electron line‐scan profile changes with the temperature for various sizes of a NS both in Au/Be and in Be/Be systems. However, the shape of the backscattering electron line‐scan profile remains almost unchanged with the temperature in the Au/Be system, but exhibits obvious changes in the Be/Be system. This work next investigates the spatial distributions of the deposited electron energy resulting from full electrons, the PEs, and the cascaded electrons at different temperatures. It indicates that the inherent temperature exerts different influences on scatterings of PEs and the cascaded electrons. Utilizing the electron–solid interaction theory, a systematic explanation is provided for these findings. This study potentially offers a possibility for thermometry in nanostructures using SEMs.