Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Electron Microscopy
and Diffraction
4. Electron
Electron-- specimen interaction,
Scattering process and application
Content
An interaction
volume can also be
used to predict the
types of signals that
will be produced and
the depth from which
they can escape.
http://www.small-world.net/efs.htm
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 6
Interaction volume
Incident beam
Interaction
volume
Electron
Electron--sample interaction volume has a pear shape (left)
(left)..
Actual image of interaction volume between incident beam and
sample surface (right) showing shape and size of primary excitation region
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 7
Interaction depth of signals
Prim.
beam
1. Auger electron
Spec.
1. Auger electron (0,1
0,1--2 nm)
nm
surface 2. Sec. electron 2. Secondary
electron (10 nm)
nm
3. Backscattered
3. Back-scat.
electron electron ( 5 mm)
6. Xray fluorescence
4. Charact. X-ray
Primary Signals: 4. Charac. 5. Continiium X-ray
§iÖn tö thø cÊp Xray
6. Fluorescence
§iÖn tö t¸n x¹ ngîc 5. Xray continium
Xray ( 10 mm)
Tia r¬ngen
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 8
Determination of interaction depth
Transmitted electron:
electron: microstructure, crystal structure, composition (TEM+EELS)
The probability of an
elastic vs..
vs an
inelastic collision is
based primarily on
the atomic weight of
the specimen (Z).
A hole is created
L M in the shell
K
De-
De-excitation occurs by
release of X-
X-ray photon
Although secondary
electrons are produced
throughout the interaction
region, they can only escape
from the uppermost portion
due to their low energy.
SE gives info of topography
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 24
Primary electron Edge effect and Surface
sample thickness
Primary electron
topography
Fewer SE
escape MoreSE
escape
on edges Fewer SE
contrast by SE
escape on
flat areas
SE detector:
- Lateral: side mounted
- Annular: in
in--lens
BSE detector:
- Solid state detector
SE
Photons Photoelectrons SE
~ 300V +10kV 3. Light guide pipe Dinodes
Amplifier
CRT
Scintillator
The Everhart
Everhart--Thornley detector has an aluminum coating (+ (+10
10--12
keV) that also serves to reflect the photons back down the light pipe
pipe..
The scintillator is a
phosphor crystal that
absorbs an electron
and generates a
photon.
The photons
produced in the
scintillator are
carried down a
fiber optic light
pipe out of the
microscope.
The PMT is converting the incoming photons into electrons which are then drawn to
dynodes kept at a positive bias. The dynodes are made of material with a low work
function and thus give up excess electrons for every electron that strikes them. The
result “multiplies” the signal contained in each photon produced by the scintillator.
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 38
SE detector: photomultiplier
1. The electronic signal from
the PMT is further increased
by a signal amplifier.
2. Thus an increase in “gain”
is accomplished by voltage
applied to the dynodes of the
PMT and alters the contrast of
the image.
3. An increase in the “black”
level is made by increasing
the current in the amplifier and
alters the brightness of the
image.
4. Signal is thus increased at
the scintillator, PMT, and
amplifier.
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 39
Back
Back--scattered
electron (BSE) image
and detection
Backscattered electrons
are the result of elastic
collisions with atoms of the
specimen.
They result in emitted
electrons that have an
energy of 80 % or more of
the original energy of the
primary beam electron.
Objective
Primary e-
BSEs
Convert
target
Backward
SEs
SEs from
sample
+300V
-50 V
Grid
Ni
0 min. 15 min.
10 min.
20 min.
Example
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 60
The ESEM uses a special detector
01.01.2009 Materials Science Center, HUT 61
X-ray spectrum
thin, heavy
thick, light
Chromium
Gold
Increasing E
voltage Increasing Z Z RP
and atomic
weight
E RP