Charge measurement in electron irradiated ceramic MgO: Induced current and mirror effect methods

Breakdowns are the usual limitation of the dielectric using. Nowadays, the irradiation of materials by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope can exhibit such breakdown events and also permit more elementary characterization of charging properties of non conducting materials. So, SEM has been equipped to study the fundamental aspects of charge trapping in insulating materials, by two complementary techniques: the induced current method (ICM) and the mirror method (SEMME). Here we are more concerned by study certain phenomena responsible for obtaining elliptical or circular images dependent on the crystallographic direction in MgO material. We develop then the experimental results of induced current. They are used to validate this method which proves of a great interest and very relevant for any study aiming at approaching the state of dielectric material.