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Improving Scanning Electron Microscope Resolution for Near Planar Samples Through the Use of Image Restoration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2013

Eric Lifshin ,
Yudhishthir P. Kandel  and
Richard L. Moore
Eric Lifshin*
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203, USA
Yudhishthir P. Kandel
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203, USA
Richard L. Moore
Affiliation:
RLM2 Analytical, 29 Van Buren Street, Albany, NY 12206, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: elifshin@albany.edu
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Abstract

A method is presented for determining the point spread function (PSF) of an electron beam in a scanning electron microscope for the examination of near planar samples. Once measured, PSFs can be used with two or more low-resolution images of a selected area to create a high-resolution reconstructed image of that area. As an example, a 4× improvement in resolution for images is demonstrated for a fine gold particle sample. Since thermionic source instruments have high beam currents associated with large probe sizes, use of this approach implies that high-resolution images can be produced rapidly if the probe diameter is less of a limiting factor. Additionally, very accurate determination of the PSFs can lead to a better understanding of instrument performance as exemplified by very accurate measurement of the beam shape and therefore the degree of astigmatism.

Keywords

scanning electron microscopeimage restorationresolutiondeconvolutionastigmatism correctionPSF determination
Type
Techniques, Software, and Instrumentation Development
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 78 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2014 

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