Damage-less observation of polymers by electron dose control in scanning electron microscope

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microscopy
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Electron radiation damage significantly impacts scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging of beam-sensitive materials like polymer films.
• Current visual assessment of radiation damage is subjective and lacks reliability.
• Quantitative evaluation is essential for accurate damage assessment and reliable SEM observations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a quantitative methodology for evaluating electron radiation damage.
• To establish a method for calculating the tolerable electron dose for SEM observation.
• To achieve damage-less SEM imaging of beam-sensitive polymer films.

Main Methods:

• Developed a quantitative evaluation method for electron radiation damage.
• Utilized normalized correlative coefficient (RNCC) between initial and subsequent SEM frames to assess damage.
• Defined a threshold RNCC value to determine the tolerable electron dose.

Main Results:

• Established a reliable, quantitative method for assessing electron radiation damage.
• Determined the tolerable electron dose by identifying the RNCC rapid reduction point.
• Successfully obtained high-quality SEM images with minimal damage and good signal-to-noise ratio.

Conclusions:

• The developed quantitative method enhances the reliability of radiation damage assessment in SEM.
• Determining a tolerable electron dose allows for damage-less imaging of sensitive polymer films.
• Image integration up to the tolerable dose yields high-quality, low-noise SEM images.