Backscattered Electron Detector With Layered Energy Band Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current SEM BSE detectors lack energy filters, unable to distinguish between different energy bands of backscattered electrons, limiting their ability to reveal detailed information from deep material structures.
Innovation Solution
A BSE detector with electrically isolated detection components featuring top metal layers of varying thicknesses, allowing for the separation and amplification of different energy bands of backscattered electron signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single uniform top metal layer is used in the BSE detector, then the detector structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot distinguish between different energy bands of backscattered electrons
Solution Approach 1:
The detector is divided into multiple detection components (first, second, third detection components) with different top metal layer thicknesses. Each component detects a specific energy band of backscattered electrons, enabling energy band discrimination while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that follows conventional detector designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the detector have different top metal layer thicknesses (first thickness, second thickness, third thickness) to create local variations in electron penetration depth. This allows each region to be optimized for detecting specific energy bands, with thinner layers detecting higher energy electrons and thicker layers detecting lower energy electrons from deeper material depths.
2Loss of information
If multiple detection components with different top metal layer thicknesses are used, then different energy bands of backscattered electrons can be detected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detector is segmented into multiple detection components, each with a specific top metal layer thickness optimized for detecting backscattered electrons from different depth ranges. This segmentation allows the detector to capture information from both surface and deep material structures without requiring a single complex component.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds the dimension of energy band discrimination by varying the thickness of top metal layers across different detection components. This dimensional variation enables the detector to differentiate between electrons scattered from different depths, transforming a single-dimensional detection into a multi-dimensional energy-resolved detection system.
3Measurement precision
If the top metal layer is made thinner to detect higher energy electrons, then surface information is improved, but information from deep material structures is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The detector uses multiple detection components with different top metal layer thicknesses to simultaneously detect both surface and deep material information. Thinner layers detect high-energy electrons from the surface, while thicker layers detect lower-energy electrons from deeper structures, eliminating the need to choose between surface and depth information.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of top metal layer thickness across different detection components. By varying this physical parameter, the detector can optimize electron detection for different penetration depths, with thinner layers for surface detection and thicker layers for deep material detection, all within a single integrated system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the detection of distinct energy bands of backscattered electrons, enhancing imaging capabilities by providing detailed composition and topographic information, and allowing for the revelation of defects at different depths within a sample.
Implementation Method 1
a single continuous top metal layer configured for directly receiving incident backscattered electrons and for backscattered electron to penetrate therethrough
Implementation Method 2
Surface topographic (TOPO) variation may be imaged, usually, by collecting scattered electrons (SEs), since they result from electron—electron scattering from the surface of the specimen
Implementation Method 3
the contrast of composition (COMPO) in atomic number of the specimen is readily obtained by the backscattered electrons (BSEs), since they result from an electron—nuclei scattering
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a backscattered electron (BSE) detector comprising two or more detection components that are electrically isolated from each other. Each of the detection components includes a single continuous top metal layer configured for directly receiving incident backscattered electrons and for backscattered electron to penetrate therethrough. The thickness of one of the top metal layers is different from the thickness of another one of the top metal layers. The BSE detector can be used in an apparatus of charged-particle beam for imaging a sample material. Signals from the detection components having top metal layers of different thicknesses can be inputted into different signal amplifier circuits to get different energy bands of BSE image.