Premium
Consequences of positive ions upon imaging in low vacuum scanning electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Craven J. P.,
Baker F. S.,
Thiel B. L.,
Donald A. M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.0022-2720.2001.00969.x
Subject(s) - environmental scanning electron microscope , scanning electron microscope , ion , ionization , conductor , electron , space charge , insulator (electricity) , materials science , plasma , analytical chemistry (journal) , electrical conductor , nanotechnology , chemistry , optics , optoelectronics , composite material , physics , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Summary The effects caused by an excess quantity of ionized gas molecules within the low vacuum, variable pressure and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) are described with reference to mechanisms by which they can influence imaging conditions. These effects can include specimen charging, recombination and development of space charge. They are demonstrated for three different classes of sample: (1) an electrically grounded conductor, (2) an electrically floating conductor, and (3) an electrical insulator. A new device is presented that will aid excess charge removal within the ESEM and help correct for some of these effects, thereby dramatically improving imaging over a wide range of operating conditions and samples. The mechanism of image enhancement is demonstrated with reference to the three classes of sample described above.