Environmental Equipment for Classic SEM Enabling Investigations of Dielectric and Wet Surfaces

W. Słówko, M. Krysztof
2011 Acta Physica Polonica. A  
To extend capabilities of the classic scanning electron microscopes toward the variable pressure/environmental technique, the authors designed the vacuum and detection system in the form of a simple attachment which does not need any changes in an original structure of the instrument. The main part of the system is the vacuum and detection head, combining the intermediate vacuum chamber and electron detectors of chosen kinds. The low vacuum secondary electron detector extracts electrons through
more » ... the lower throttling aperture and is designed in the form of an unipotential electrostatic lens with the anode covered with scintillator. It can work from pressures exceeding 10 hPa to high vacuum, i.e. in the whole range of the scanning electron microscopy applications for almost all possible samples. The low vacuum secondary electron detector may be also made in a miniaturised autonomous form equipped with a photomultiplier or a semiconductor photodetector. These designs are destined for low vacuum scanning electron microscopy where the intermediate chamber is arranged inside an objective lens.
doi:10.12693/aphyspola.120.23 fatcat:ef2yrbfnyjbctmqanqpblinfai