5 December 2019 Model improvements to simulate charging in scanning electron microscope
Kerim T. Arat, Thomas Klimpel, Cornelis W. Hagen
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Background: Charging of insulators is a complex phenomenon to simulate since the accuracy of the simulations is very sensitive to the interaction of electrons with matter and electric fields.

Aim: In this study, we report model improvements for a previously developed Monte-Carlo simulator to more accurately simulate samples that charge.

Approach: The improvements include both modeling of low energy electron scattering by first-principle approaches and charging of insulators by the redistribution of the charge carriers in the material with an electron beam-induced conductivity and a dielectric breakdown model.

Results: The first-principle scattering models provide a more realistic charge distribution cloud in the material and a better match between noncharging simulations and experimental results. The improvements on the charging models, which mainly focus on the redistribution of the charge carriers, lead to a smoother distribution of the charges and better experimental agreement of charging simulations.

Conclusions: Combined with a more accurate tracing of low energy electrons in the electric field, we managed to reproduce the dynamically changing charging contrast due to an induced positive surface potential.

© 2019 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) 1932-5150/2019/$28.00 © 2019 SPIE
Kerim T. Arat, Thomas Klimpel, and Cornelis W. Hagen "Model improvements to simulate charging in scanning electron microscope," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 18(4), 044003 (5 December 2019). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.18.4.044003
Received: 19 July 2019; Accepted: 18 November 2019; Published: 5 December 2019
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CITATIONS
Cited by 7 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Monte Carlo methods

Scattering

Scanning electron microscopy

Dielectrics

Electron microscopes

Silicon

Statistical modeling

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