Theoretical Evaluation of Compositional Contrast of Scanning Electron Microscope Images

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Abstract
The compositional contrast in the scanning electron microscope image is calculated for Al-Cu, Si-Cu and Al-Si contacts. An electron scattering phenomenon in the specimen is simulated in a direct manner. Electron refraction at the boundary, because of the agreement of each Fermi energy at the boundary, is precisely taken into account. The backscattered electron image shows better resolution than the secondary electron image in terms of the boundary contrast when the primary electron energy is 1 keV. The signal intensity varies depending on materials adjacent to the location observed. The ultimate resolution of the compositional contrast of the scanning electron microscope can be below 1 nm.