Free Access
Issue
Microsc. Microanal. Microstruct.
Volume 6, Number 5-6, October / December 1995
Page(s) 499 - 504
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/mmm:1995141
Microsc. Microanal. Microstruct. 6, 499-504 (1995)
DOI: 10.1051/mmm:1995141

Resolution of Semiconductor Multilayers using Backscattered Electrons in Scanning Electron Microscopy

Donato Govoni1, Pier Giorgio Merli1, Andrea Migliori1 et Michele Nacucchi2

1  CNR-Istituto LAMEL, Via Piero Gobetti n.101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
2  PASTIS-CNRSM SCpA, S.S.7 km 714.3, 72100 Brindisi, Italy


Abstract
Observations of semiconductor multilayers with backscattered electrons in a scanning electron microscope have been used to revisit the concept of resolution of the backscattering imaging mode. With the support of Monte Carlo simulations of beam specimen interaction, it has been possible to achieve the following conclusions. All the backscattered electrons positively contribute to the image formation independently of their trajectories and specimen exit points. The generation volume does not represent in itself a limit to the resolution, which depends only on the beam size and the signal to noise ratio.

PACS
6116D - Electron microscopy determinations of structures.
7920K - Other electron surface impact phenomena.
6865 - Low dimensional structures: growth, structure and nonelectronic properties.

Key words
aluminium compounds -- electron backscattering -- gallium arsenide -- III V semiconductors -- Monte Carlo methods -- scanning electron microscopy -- semiconductor heterojunctions -- semiconductor multilayers -- backscattered electrons -- scanning electron microscopy -- backscattering imaging mode -- Monte Carlo simulations -- image formation -- beam size -- signal to noise ratio -- GaAs AlAs


© EDP Sciences 1995