Correction of scan line shift artifacts in scanning electron microscopy: An extended digital image correlation...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metrology
• Image Analysis

Background:

• High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) is crucial for various applications.
• SEM images often contain artifacts, such as scan line shifts, that introduce errors in measurements.
• These artifacts significantly impact full-field deformation analysis, particularly with digital image correlation (DIC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for correcting scan line shift artifacts in HR-SEM images.
• To improve the accuracy of geometrical and kinematical field measurements derived from SEM data.
• To enhance the reliability of deformation analysis using DIC on SEM micrographs.

Main Methods:

• A novel global digital image correlation (GDIC) framework was developed.
• The framework incorporates an enriched regularization based on an error function.
• This approach accounts for the nonlinear influence of imaging artifacts.

Main Results:

• The proposed GDIC methodology effectively detects and eliminates scan line shift artifacts.
• Validation was performed using both simulated and real SEM images.
• Accurate displacement fields were obtained after artifact correction.

Conclusions:

• The novel GDIC framework provides a robust solution for correcting scan line shift artifacts in HR-SEM.
• This method significantly enhances the precision of deformation measurements from SEM images.
• The findings are applicable to various fields relying on accurate SEM-based metrology.