Does your SEM really tell the truth?--How would you know? Part 1

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Metrology

Background:

• Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) have evolved significantly, becoming essential for scientific and industrial applications.
• High resolution makes SEM ideal for qualitative and quantitative analysis, particularly in nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing.
• Metrology, or precise measurement, is a primary application, crucial for monitoring semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss critical aspects and larger issues of SEM imaging and measurements.
• To inform users about essential knowledge required before performing critical quantitative work with SEMs.

Main Methods:

• The article discusses the evolution of SEM technology driven by industry needs.
• It highlights the impact of research and development investments on SEM performance.
• Focuses on the qualitative and quantitative capabilities of modern SEMs.

Main Results:

• SEM performance has vastly improved due to substantial R&D investment, benefiting quantitative measurements.
• Modern SEMs are used as primary measurement tools in semiconductor processing lines.
• Users benefit from enhanced SEM capabilities for metrology.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the critical aspects of SEM imaging and metrology is essential for accurate quantitative analysis.
• Users must be aware of the data quality and limitations before undertaking critical SEM measurements.
• The article emphasizes the importance of informed usage for reliable SEM data.