The Characterization of Nano Materials in the FE-SEM

Abstract

The observation of nano materials or nano phases is generally performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) because conventional Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) do not have the resolution to image such small phases. Since the last decade, a new generation of microscopes is available on the market. These are the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) with a virtual secondary electron detector. The FE-SEM have a higher brightness allowing probe diameter smaller than 2.5 nm with incident electron energy, E0, below 5 keV. Furthermore, what gives FE-SEM outstanding resolution is the virtual secondary electron (SE) detector. The virtual SE detector is located above the objective lens and it is also named a through-the-lens (TTL) detector. Therefore, the SE images are mostly made up of all SE of type I and II, because those of type III, which are generated by the backscattered electrons in the chamber, are not collected.