Resolution of compositional backscattered electron profiles of single interfaces in the scanning electron microscope

Abstract

AbstractA new method is proposed for the calculation of the lateral resolution of the compositional backscattered electron (BSE) profiles of bulk cross sections of single interfaces in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The method is based on Niedrig's combined analytical model for electron backscattering and Doig and Flewitt's empirical expression for beam broadening. Experimentally determined lateral resolution values measured on BSE profiles of abrupt interfaces using three different SEMs are very closely reproduced by the calculated values. Based on this new method, the optimum SEM parameters can be determined to enable the measurement of the best resolution BSE profiles with low noise, so that the earlier proposed deconvolution method (Konkol et al. 1994) could be used at optimum conditions.