The elimination of charging artefacts in the scanning electron microscope

Abstract

A simple technique has been developed which enables the examination of any uncoated insulating specimen in the scanning electron microscope at high accelerating voltages without intensity fluctuation charging artefacts. The specimens were placed in the specimen chamber which had been modified to contain a small residual water vapour environment, and were imaged using a wide angle backscattered electron detector. It would appear that the presence of the water vapour sufficiently reduced the resistance of the insulator so that any charging which may have occurred was not detected by the backscattered electron detector.