The invention relates to an
electron detector (22) for an
electron microscope (10) which generates a primary
electron beam (16) in order to illuminate a sample (18), said electron
detector having a tubular portion (32) with an internal volume (34). The primary electron beam (16) can pass through the internal volume (34) in order to illuminate the sample (18). The electron
detector (22) has a detector element (26) which is arranged outside the tubular portion (32) and which is designed to detect electrons which, coming from the sample (18), move in a second direction (42) counter to the direction of the primary electron beam (16). A filter grid (28) is arranged in front of the detector element (26) in the second direction (42), said filter grid extending in a third direction (60) which runs transversely to the
beam direction of the electron beam (16). The electron detector (22) has an insulator (36) which electrically insulates the filter grid (28) and the tubular portion (32) from one another such that the filter grid (28) can be at a negative electrical potential relative to the housing (24). A plurality of electrodes (48, 50, 52) made of an
electrically conductive material are arranged outside the tubular portion (32) and are designed to produce a predominantly
homogeneous electric field (56) between the filter grid (28) and the detector element (26). The
electric field (56) has
equipotential lines (66) which run in the third direction (60), predominantly parallel to the filter grid (28). The electrodes (48, 50, 52) are also designed to distort the
electric field (56) in the region of the insulator (36) in a targeted manner such that the
equipotential lines (66) have an inhomogeneous, predominantly falling profile in a defined region (68) between the filter grid (28) and the detector element (26). The defined region (68) extends in the second direction (42) proceeding from the filter grid (28) and in the third direction (60) proceeding from the tubular portion (32).