Technology and parameters of thin membrane-anode for MEMS transmission electron microscope

A concept of a miniaturized microelectromechanical system based transmission electron microscope is presented. This device consists of two parts: part 1-electron optics column with a high vacuum micropump and part 2-sample chamber with a detector. These two parts are separated with a common electrode, called the anode. The anode consists of a very thin membrane (membrane-anode) that encloses the electron optics microsystem. It is used to let the electron beam pass to the sample and it must endure the pressure difference between its both parts. In this paper, the authors describe the fabrication process of the membrane-anode. It is made of Si3N4 layer deposited on an oxidized silicon substrate and is fabricated in five steps: photolithography, plasma etching, wet anisotropic etching, oxide stripping, and removing the Si3N4 and SiO2 layers. The membranes were characterized, and their preliminary performance parameters are presented, i.e., the endurance and the electron transmission. Published by the AVS.