Low-loss electron images of uncoated photoresist in the scanning electron microscope

Abstract

Low voltage scanning electron microscopy is an important part of microelectronic inspection technique. This makes it possible to examine devices without changing the electrical properties, and to examine nonconducting samples such as photoresist without the use of a surface metal layer. The secondary electron imaging method suffers, however, from the difficulty that the image can be spoiled by slight charging of the specimen by the incident electron beam. This problem can be solved by the use of the low-loss electron image.