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Charging Mitigation Strategies in Imaging
Insulating Polymer Spheres via Low Voltage
Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy
Application Note
Jining Xie
Agilent Technologies
Introduction spatial resolution. Another dilemma
Because of its high resolution, in SEM imaging of polymers is the low
broad range of magnifications and contrast. Polymers usually consist of
straightforward image interpretation, light elements (C, H, O and others). The
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is low atomic numbers of these elements
one of the common imaging techniques in conjunction with the low density of
for morphological characterization polymer results in a weak interaction
of polymeric materials with various between the specimen atoms and the
shapes, crystalline forms, and incident electrons leading to a poor
dimensions. Unfortunately, there contrast [1, 2]. Possible methods to
are some technical difficulties that enhance such a poor compositional
make SEM study of polymers quite contrast are heavy-atom staining
challenging. The most notorious and chemical extraction. In addition,
impediment of polymer imaging polymers are susceptible to beam-
by SEM is charging because most induced radiation damages. Since most
polymers are highly insulating (volume of the energy carried by the electron
resistivity 10 15