Charge neutralisation of insulating surfaces in the SEM by gas ionisation
- 1 December 1978
- journal article
- Published by IOP Publishing in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
- Vol. 11 (17) , 2315-2325
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/11/17/002
Abstract
A theory is presented in which the elimination of charging artefacts on uncoated insulating surfaces in the scanning electron microscope by a low-pressure ambient gas is taken to be due to ionisation of the gas. Curves of ion current against ionising field calculated from a model of gas neutralisation give good agreement with the variation of measured ion currents passing through metal specimens. This result permits a precise interpretation of the behavior occurring at the surface of insulating specimens.Keywords
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