Fabrication and analysis of buried iron silicide microstructures using a focused low energy electron beam

We fabricated iron and iron silicide microstructures on an Si(1 0 0) clean surface via electron beam induced process of Fe(CO)₅ multilayer and subsequent annealing. The fabricated microstructures were in situ analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We successfully analyzed the coverage and chemical states of the artificial deposited iron structure area-selectively by AES. The artificial iron structure was fabricated after heating to above 350 K to desorb residual Fe(CO)₅ species. The artificial structure was observed even after 1190 K annealing by SEM, but AES measurements showed it to be covered by Si atoms. We concluded that the buried iron silicide microstructure was formed by the present process.     

电介质/半导体结构样品电子束感生电流瞬态特性

电子束照射下电介质/半导体样品的电子束感生电流(electron beam induced current,EBIC)是其电子显微检测的重要手段.结合数值模拟和实验测量,研究了高能电子束辐照下SiO2/Si薄膜的瞬态EBIC特性.基于Rutherford模型和快二次电子模型研究电子的散射过程,基于电流连续性方程计算电荷的输运、俘获和复合过程,获得了电荷分布、EBIC和透射电流瞬态特性以及束能和束流对它们的影响.结果表明,由于电子散射效应,自由电子密度沿入射方向逐渐减小.由于二次电子出射,净电荷密度呈现近表面为正、内部为负的特性,空间电场在表面附近为正而在样品内部为负,导致一些电子输运到基底以及一些出射二次电子返回表面.SiO2与Si界面处俘获电子导致界面附近负电荷密度高于周围区域.随电子束照射样品内部净电荷密度逐渐降低,带电强度减弱.同时,负电荷逐渐向基底输运,EBIC和样品电流逐渐增大,电场强度逐渐减小.由于样品带电强度较弱,表面出射电流和透射电流随照射基本保持恒定.EBIC、透射电流及表面出射电流均随束流呈现近似正比例关系.对于本文SiO2/Si薄膜,透射电流随束能的升高逐渐增大并接近于束流值,EBIC在束能约15 keV时呈现极大值.     

Monte Carlo simulation for Multi-Mode Elastic Peak Electron Spectroscopy of crystalline materials: Effects of surface structure and excitation

The Multi-Mode Elastic Peak Electron Spectroscopy (MM-EPES) analysis is confined to incoherent electron elastic scattering and the use of variable primary energy. This experimental method is very sensitive to the surface region of the sample. However, for quantitative interpretation, the MM-EPES method needs jointly a Monte Carlo (MC) computer simulation of electron trajectories in the solid. In the present work, we proposed a new approach to calculate the percentage η_e of elastic reflected electrons by the surface of a sample. This simulation takes into account the surface effects (i.e. surface plasmon), and the atoms arrangement in the substrate. The concept of the surface excitation parameter (SEP) is also presented. Computer simulations were performed on the three low index single crystals of Cu, Au, Si and Ag. The results confirm that the distribution of substrate atoms, according to the crystallographic structure, influences the intensity measured by EPES.A simple prediction formula was proposed to calculate η_e for elastic electrons entering in a Retarding Field Analyzer (RFA) spectrometer which is the apparatus giving experimentally numerical values of the percentage η_e.     

A new type of scanning electron microscope using the coaxial backscattered electrons

A new coaxial detection system for backscattered electrons in SEM is described. This coaxial detection system allows us to collect only the backscattered electrons that have lost a small percentage of the primary energy, emerging from the sample surface with a take-off angle defined by the objective lens. This new configuration reinforces the atomic-number contrast and suppresses effectively the topographic contrast. The simulation and experimental results confirm these expectations: this new type of SEM is very suitable for observing differences in atomic number. Moreover, by associating the obtained image with a conventional secondary electron image, we build a third (color) image that allows us to give finally at the same time, in a single image, both of the chemical and topographic information.     

对超热电子诱生的磁场分布的估算

利用简化模型估算了电荷分离场及由超热电子逃逸在等离子体表面产生的自生磁场的大小和空间分布.受电荷分离场的影响以及超热电子逃逸数的限制,超热电子产生的环形磁场主要分布于等离子体表面附近的焦斑半径内,仅当超热电子束流很强时(在1μm半径截面内达到kA量级),环形磁场才可以达到10²T量级.一般情况下,由超热电子产生的磁场则极小 关键词： 磁场 超热电子     

金属规则表面形貌影响二次电子产额的解析模型

表面形貌是影响二次电子发射特性的重要因素, 但目前仍缺乏刻画这一影响规律的解析模型. 本文通过分析发现表面结构的遮挡作用是影响二次电子发射特性的主要因素. 基于二次电子以余弦角分布出射的规律, 提出了建立表面形貌参数与二次电子产额之间定量关系的方法, 并以矩形槽和三角槽为例, 建立了电子正入射和斜入射时的一代二次电子产额的解析模型. 将推导的解析模型与Monte Carlo模拟结果和实验结果进行了比较, 结果表明本文建立的模型能够正确反映规则表面形貌的二次电子产额. 本文的模型对于反映常用规则结构影响二次电子出射的规律以及指导通过表面结构调控二次电子发射特性都具有参考价值.     

Monte Carlo calculation using a personal computer for electron probe microanalysis

Monte Carlo simulation for calculating x‐ray spectra under electron impact is carried out by a personal computer. Reduction of the CPU time by reducing the number of incident electrons for calculation is performed. One of the methods used to reduce the number of incident electrons to obtain the results within an acceptable error is provided. We limit the present report to five typical compounds: an oxide (Al₂O₃), a nitride (TiN), a carbide (Al₄C₃), a light–light element compound (BN), and a heavy–light element compound (PbS). We calculate the relative x‐ray intensity generated from the five compounds listed above with the change of the number of the incident electrons. The calculated x‐ray intensity is then converted into the mass % by the ZAF method. Comparisons are made between the calculation and experiment for Al₄C₃ and PbS. It is found that the present Monte Carlo method is useful for investigating a relationship between the number of incident electrons and the acceptable error. The results of 150 incident electrons can be applied in practical analysis, and the calculation time is less than 2 min. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

介质部分填充平行平板传输线微放电过程分析

本文主要研究了介质填充微波部件微放电随时间演变的过程,重点分析了介质微波部件微放电自熄灭机理.以介质部分填充平行平板传输线为研究对象,忽略空间电荷效应,采用自主研发粒子模拟软件模拟微放电过程,并将模拟结果与金属微波部件结果进行对比.结果表明,在一定功率下,金属微放电过程中电子数目呈指数形式增长,而介质微放电过程经历初始电子倍增后发生自熄灭现象,同时发现在电子数目即将下降为0时,介质表面的平均二次电子发射系数大于1或约等于1.另外,在上述模拟结果的基础上对微放电过程中介质表面积累电荷问题进一步分析,模拟结果表明,如果持续向微波部件内注入电子,介质表面的平均二次电子发射系数最终都约等于1.所得结论对研究复杂介质填充微波部件微放电的机理具有一定的理论指导价值.     

Runaway of electrons in dense gases and mechanism of generation of high-power subnanosecond beams

New understanding of mechanism of the runaway electrons beam generation in gases is presented. It is shown that the Townsend mechanism of the avalanche electron multiplication is valid even for the strong electric fields when the electron ionization friction on gas may be neglected. A non-local criterion for a runaway electron generation is proposed. This criterion results in the universal two-valued dependence of critical voltage U _cr on pd for a certain gas (p is a pressure, d is an interelectrode distance). This dependence subdivides a plane (U _cr , pd) onto the area of the efficient electron multiplication and the area where the electrons leave the gas gap without multiplication. On the basis of this dependence analogs of Paschen’s curves are constructed, which contain an additional new upper branch. This brunch demarcates the area of discharge and the area of e-beam. The mechanism of the formation of the recently created atomospheric pressure subnanosecond e-beams is discussed. It is shown that the beam of the runaway electrons is formed at an instant when the plasma of the discharge gap approaches to the runaway electrons is formed at an instant when the plasma of the discharge gap approaches to the anode. In this case a basic pulse of the electron beam is formed according to the non-local criterion of the runaway electrons generation. The role of the discharge gap preionization by the fast electrons, emitted from the plasma non-uniformities on the cathode, as well as a propagation of an electron multiplication wave from cathode to anode in a dense gas are considered.     

The positive charging effect of dielectric films irradiated by a focused electron beam

Space charge and surface potential profiles are investigated with numerical simulation for dielectric films of SiO₂ positively charged by a focused electron beam. By combining the Monte Carlo method and the finite difference method, the simulation is preformed with a newly developed comprehensive two-dimensional model including electron scattering, charge transport and trapping. Results show that the space charge is distributed positively, like a semi-ellipsoid, within a high-density region of electrons and holes, but negatively outside the region due to electron diffusion along the radial and beam incident directions. Simultaneously, peak positions of the positive and negative space charge densities shift outwards or downwards with electron beam irradiation. The surface potential, along the radial direction, has a nearly flat-top around the center, abruptly decreases to negative values outside the high-density region and finally increases to zero gradually. Influences of electron beam and film parameters on the surface potential profile in the equilibrium state are also shown and analyzed. Furthermore, the variation of secondary electron signal of a large-scale integration sample positively charged in scanning electron microscopic observation is simulated and validated by experiment.     

The townsend coefficient and runaway of electrons in electronegative gas

We have studied the character of variation of the number of electrons formed in an electronegative gas (SF₆) under the action of an external electric field. At any value of the electric field strength E, the number of generated electrons exponentially increases with the distance from the cathode, while the average velocity and energy of electrons attain constant values. At small values of the reduced field strength, E/p<94 V/(cm Torr) (p is the gas pressure), the regime of electron attachment prevails that is characterized by negative values of the exponent (negative Townsend coefficients). For E/p>94 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication proceeds in the usual Townsend regime with positive exponents. In the intermediate region of E/p=40–160 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication coefficient exhibits a linear dependence on E/p. Numerical calculations based on a simple model show that the Townsend multiplication regime takes place even in very strong fields where the drag caused by ionization can be ignored. A universal function describing the electron runaway in SF₆ is obtained.     

Monte Carlo simulation of electron beam air plasma characteristics

A high-energy electron beam generator is used to generate a plasma in atmosphere. Based on a Monte Carlo toolkit named GEANT4, a model including complete physics processes is established to simulate the passage of the electron beam in air. Based on the model, the characteristics of the electron beam air plasma are calculated. The energy distribution of beam electrons (BEs) indicates that high-energy electrons almost reside in the centre region of the beam, but low-energy electrons always live in the fringe area. The energy deposition is calculated in two cases, i.e., with and without secondary electrons (SEs). Analysis indicates that the energy deposition of SEs accounts for a large part of the total energy deposition. The results of the energy spectrum show that the electrons in the inlet layer of the low-pressure chamber (LPC) are monoenergetic, but the energy spectrum of the electrons in the outlet layer is not pure. The SEs are largely generated at the outlet of the LPC. Moreover, both the energy distribution of BEs and the magnitude of the density of SEs are closely related to the pressure of LPC. Thus, a conclusion is drawn that a low magnitude of LPC pressure is helpful for reducing the energy loss in the LPC and also useful for greatly increasing the secondary electron density in dense air.     

A novel gate structure in large diagonal size printable CNT-FED

In the normal gate CNT-FED, the gate electrode is used to modulate and address the electron beam. Some electrons may bombard on the gate electrode, thus the luminant efficiency of CNT-FED decreases. This paper proposes a new gate structure, which is the metal mesh with cone funnels. MgO film and MgF₂ film are vaporized on the surface of the mesh and the funnels. When the primary electrons bombard on the gate electrode with initial energy, the secondary electrons and backscatters are generated. As results, more electrons can pass through the gate electrode and land on the anode. Consequently, the brightness of the novel triode structure CNT-FED can increase obviously. In the paper, we show the results of numerical simulation of the secondary electron emission process with Monte Carlo method. Some CNT-FED devices with the new type of gate structure are fabricated. The surface of the gate electrode is coated with MgO, MgF₂ and SiO₂ film, respectively. The results of emission experiments are also shown in this paper.     

Unoccupied electronic states and the interface formation between oligo(phenylene-vinylene) films and a Ge(111) surface

Thin films of tri-oligo(phenylene-vinylene) end-terminated by di-butyl-thiole (tOPV) were thermally deposited in UHV on Ge(111) substrates. The surface potential and the structure of unoccupied electron states (DOUS) located 5–20 eV above the Fermi level (E _F) were monitored during the film deposition using an incident beam of low-energy electrons according to the total current electron spectroscopy (TCS) method. The electronic work function of the surface changed during the film deposition until it reached a stable value of 4.3±0.1 eV at a tOPV film thickness of 8–10 nm. Deposition of the tOPV under 3 nm led to the formation of intermediate DOUS structures that were replaced by another DOUS structure along with an increase in the tOPV deposit thickness up to 8–10 nm. The occurrence of the intermediate DOUS structure is indicative of a substantial reconfiguration of the electronic structure of the tOPV molecules due to the interaction with the Ge(111) surface. Analysis of the TCS data allowed us to assign the unoccupied electronic bands in tOPV located at 5.5–6.5 and 7.5–9.5 eV above the E _F as π* bands and at 11–14 and 16–19 eV above E _F as σ* bands.     

New possibilities and some artifacts of the cathodoluminescent mode in scanning electron microscopy

Lightning inside the chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), caused by electrons being scattering from a sample (and parts of the chamber), is observed and analyzed. These electrons generate the luminescence in a Thornly–Everhart collector. This parasitic effect (artifact) must be considered and eliminated in all experiments with the cathodoluminescent (CL) mode of SEM. A new technique for measuring surface potential on dielectric samples is proposed. It is based on variations in the CL signal during electron irradiation of a sample in SEM.     

Surface EXAFS via differential electron yield

Surface‐sensitive analysis via extended X‐ray absorption fine‐structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is demonstrated using a thickness‐defined SiO₂ (12.4 nm)/Si sample. The proposed method exploits the differential electron yield (DEY) method wherein Auger electrons escaping from a sample surface are detected by an electron analyzer. The DEY method removes local intensity changes in the EXAFS spectra caused by photoelectrons crossing the Auger peak during X‐ray energy sweeps, enabling EXAFS analysis through Fourier transformation of wide‐energy‐range spectral oscillations. The Si K‐edge DEY X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectrum appears to comprise high amounts of SiO₂ and low Si content, suggesting an analysis depth, as expressed using the inelastic mean free path of electrons in general electron spectroscopy, of approximately 4.2 nm. The first nearest neighbor (Si—O) distance derived from the Fourier transform of the Si K‐edge DEY‐EXAFS oscillation is 1.63 Å. This value is within the reported values of bulk SiO₂, showing that DEY can be used to detect a surface layer of 12.4 nm thickness with an analysis depth of approximately 4.2 nm and enable `surface EXAFS' analysis using Fourier transformation.     

On the mechanism of the runaway of electrons in a gas: The upper branch of the paschen curve

Basing on the simulation results, it is shown that the Townsend mechanism of electron multiplication in a gas at sufficiently large interelectrode distances is valid at least up to such large values of E/p at which relativistic electrons are generated. Correspondingly, the runaway electron producing in a gas is determined not by the local criteria accepted presently, but by the ratio of interelectrode distance and the characteristic electron multiplication length. It is shown that the critical discharge voltage U, at which the runaway electrons appear in a given gas, is a function of the product of the interelectrode distance by the gas pressure. This function (U-pd dependence) defines not only well-known Paschen curve but also an additional branch, which describes the absence of a self-sustained discharge at a high voltages sufficiently rapidly supplied across the electrodes. Critical discharge voltage dependence for helium and xenon are presented.     

Two-dimensional emission patterns of secondary electrons from graphene layers formed on SiC(0 0 0 1)

We used spectroscopic photoemission and low-energy electron microscopy to measure two-dimensional (2D) emission patterns of secondary electrons (SEs) emitted from graphene layers formed on SiC(0 0 0 1). The 2D SE patterns measured at the SE energies of 0-50 eV show energy-dependent intensity distributions in the 6-fold symmetry. The SE patterns exhibit features ascribed to energy band structures of 2D free electrons, which would prove that electrons are partially confined in thin graphene layers even above the vacuum level.     

Effect of the electron energy on the entry blockage interval during electron scattering by a magnetic film with a strip domain structure

The trajectory of electrons in the stray field of a uniaxial magnetic film containing a strip domain structure (SDS) with a magnetization perpendicular to the sample surface are determined by numerical solution of the equations of motion. The interval of angles between the electron velocity projection onto the film surface and domain walls is determined, in which entry blockage takes place (electron scattering occurs without collisions with the sample surface). It is found that an increase in the electron energy leads to a decrease in this angular interval. The results are analyzed for multiple interactions of an electron moving in the gradient field of an SDS with attracting and repelling domain walls.