Monte Carlo method in scanning electron microscopy. 1. Modeling and experiment

Abstract

Results of modeling by the Monte Carlo method of signals from a scanning electron microscope examining rectangular grooves in silicon are compared with experimental results obtained for a scanning electron microscope operating in the secondary slow electron collection mode. The comparison is performed for the peaks of signals characterizing the primary electron beam near the walls of rectangular grooves: the widths and amplitudes of the peaks, the integral contributions of the peaks, and the positions of the peaks relative to the walls of the grooves. The parameters and their dependences on the primary electron energy are compared. All dependences are very different in terms of the parameters of the peaks and their dependence on the primary electron energy. This proves that the traditional representation of the Monte Carlo method does not work in scanning electron microscopy.