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Initial experimental results on a magnetic beam separator spectrometer for the SEM
Mans Osterberg1, Hung Quang Hoang, Anjam Khursheed
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore. mans.osterberg@nus.edu.sg
Ultramicroscopy
|July 7, 2009
Summary
This study demonstrates a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) method using magnetic beam separators for energy spectroscopy. Preliminary tests confirm minimal aberrations and successful energy spectrum capture of scattered electrons.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Electron Microscopy
Background:
- Conventional scanning electron microscopes (SEM) offer high-resolution imaging but can be enhanced for advanced analytical capabilities.
- Energy spectroscopy provides crucial information about material composition and electronic states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of integrating a round magnetic beam separator into a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for energy spectroscopy.
- To assess the performance of this novel SEM configuration in terms of image aberrations and spectral data acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using a modified conventional SEM with an add-on magnetic beam separator.
- The first experiment quantified sector image aberrations.
- The second experiment focused on capturing the energy spectrum of scattered electrons.
Main Results:
- Sector image aberrations were found to be well below 2 nm, indicating high precision.
- The system successfully captured the energy spectrum of secondary electrons, validating the spectroscopic capability.
Conclusions:
- The integration of a round magnetic beam separator is a viable concept for enhancing SEM capabilities.
- This approach enables energy spectroscopy within a conventional SEM, opening new avenues for material analysis.
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