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Finite Element Analysis of Scanning Electron Microscope Illumination System

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Abstract

The design, simulation, and beam dynamics analysis of the integrated illumination system of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) have been reported. The dimensions and capacity of the SEM components, such as the electron gun, electron column, and lenses, were determined using the finite element method. The optimization of the illumination system was performed, and characteristics beam parameters were studied analytically. The gun consisted of a simple diode structure having; cathode, Wehnelt, and anode electrodes. A tungsten cathode of diameter 150 μm was used to emit the electrons thermionically. The electrons beam was generated at 2700 K with acceleration potential of 15 kV. Pair of electromagnetic lenses producing field strengths, 221 mT and 253 mT, respectively, focused the beam at 56.5 mm from cathode, with beam diameter of 9 μm in the post anode region. The calculated value of beam brightness was 2.97 \(\times\) 106 A/(mm-rad)2. The final beam spot thus obtained was stable and perfectly symmetric along the two transverse directions. Gun assembly and lenses are thermally stable at the operational temperature. The illumination system geometry offers full-beam collimation control with reduced column length, making it suitable for electron diffraction studies, where focusing of the beam onto a sample is desired.

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Author notes

  1. Shazmina Jamal

    Present address: Department of Engineering and Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of High Energy Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Faizan Elahi & Munawar Iqbal

  2. Department of Physics, University of Lahore, Raiwind Road, Lahore, 55150, Pakistan

    Faizan Elahi

  3. Department of Physics, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Township Campus, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

    Ghalib Ul Islam

  4. Centre for High Energy Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 45590, Pakistan

    Shazmina Jamal & Munawar Iqbal

Authors
  1. Faizan Elahi
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  2. Ghalib Ul Islam
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  4. Munawar Iqbal
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Correspondence to Ghalib Ul Islam or Munawar Iqbal.

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Elahi, F., Islam, G.U., Jamal, S. et al. Finite Element Analysis of Scanning Electron Microscope Illumination System. Arab J Sci Eng 49, 9871–9884 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-08529-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-08529-7

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