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Reactive Gas Plasma Specimen Processing for Use in Microanalysis and Imaging in Analytical Electron Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

Nestor J. Zaluzec ,
Bernard J. Kestel  and
David Henriks
Nestor J. Zaluzec
Affiliation:
Materials Science Div., Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, II. 60439, USA
Bernard J. Kestel
Affiliation:
Materials Science Div., Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, II. 60439, USA
David Henriks
Affiliation:
South Bay Technology Inc., San Clemente, Ca. 92672, USA
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Extract

It has long been the bane of analytical electron microscopy (AEM) that the use of focused probes during microanalysis of specimens increases the local rate of hydrocarbon contamination. This is most succinctly observed by the formation of contamination deposits (fig.l) during focused probe work typical of AEM studies. While serving to indicate the location of the electron probe, the contamination obliterates the area of the specimen being analyzed and adversely affects all quantitative microanalysis methodologies. A variety of methods including: UV, electron beam flooding, heating and/or cooling can decrease the rate of contamination, however, none of these methods directly attack the source of specimen borne contamination . Research has shown that reactive gas plasmas may be used to clean both the specimen and stage for AEM, in this study we report on quantitative measurements of the reduction in contamination rates in an AEM as a function of operating conditions and plasma gases.

Type
Analytical Electron Microscopy
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 3 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '97, Microscopy Society of America 55th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 31st Annual Meeting, Histochemical Society 48th Annual Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, August 10-14, 1997 , August 1997 , pp. 983 - 984
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 1997

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References

1.)Hren, J. J., Introduction to Analytical Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, (1979), Chptr. 1810.1007/978-1-4757-5581-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.) Simultaneous Specimen and Stage Cleaning Device for Analytical Electron Microscopy US Patent # 5,510,624 - Argonne National Laboratory and the University of ChicagoGoogle Scholar
3.) Supported by US. DoE under BES-MS W-31-109-Eng-38 and the USNRC under FIN W6610.Google Scholar