Dynamic Charging in the Low Voltage SEM

Abstract

Dynamic charging is the condition in which the magnitude of the charge on the surface of a non-conductor, such as a polymer, under electron irradiation appears to change with the incident current density. Measurements confirm that this effect does occur and show that the magnitude of the effect depends on the relationship between the incident beam energy and the energy (E2) at which the sample has a total electron yield of unity. The effect arises from changes in the leakage resistance of the sample, and two possible explanations for this behavior are suggested.