Scanning electron microscope charging effect model for chromium/quartz photolithography masks

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Image Analysis
• Electron Microscopy

Background:

• Specimen charging in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) introduces errors in image analysis.
• Accurate measurement, segmentation, and 3-D reconstruction are hindered by charging effects.
• Existing methods may be computationally intensive or limited in scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for modeling specimen charging in SEM images.
• To enable robust image analysis by correcting charging-induced artifacts.
• To provide a practical and fast approach for SEM image analysis applications.

Main Methods:

• Fitting a quantitative model to SEM images to simulate charging effects.
• Focusing on intensity changes rather than coordinate distortions.
• Applying the model to chromium/quartz photolithography masks and similar structures.

Main Results:

• The developed method accurately fits real SEM images, capturing charging effects.
• The simulation method is faster than Monte Carlo simulations.
• The model is suitable for isolated metal islands on insulating substrates.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a practical solution for correcting charging effects in SEM imaging.
• This technique enhances the reliability of SEM image analysis for metrology and reconstruction.
• The speed of the method makes it suitable for routine image analysis workflows.