Forward scattered scanning electron microscopy for semiconductor metrology and failure analysis

Summary form only given. Continuing decreases in electron device feature size have strained the resolution limits of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this paper, a simple method is demonstrated for producing significantly improved resolution in SEM imaging without making any special sample preparation or modifications to the SEM. This method images with the low-loss forward scattered electron signal by using a modified sample holder. The method was found to be particularly useful for observing low atomic number materials such as photoresist and molecular semiconductors in their natural state, i.e. without sputter coating.