Monte Carlo Study of the Influence of Electron Beam Focusing to SEM Image Sharpness Measurement

Abstract

The influence of electron beam focusing to SEM image sharpness has been studied by a Monte Carlo simulation method and an electron probe focusing model. The Monte Carlo simulation of the SEM image is based on a well-developed physical model of electron-solid interaction, which employs Mott’s cross section and a dielectric functional approach for electron elastic and inelastic scattering, respectively. A series of simulated SEM images for a practical sample, gold particles on a carbon substrate, are generated for different electron beam focusing conditions. For sharpness measurement three methods recommended by ISO/TS 245697 are used. The variation of image sharpness with the electron beam focusing condition is studied in detail. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2014.247]