Scanning electron microscope design for quantitative multicontrast

Conceptual designs of scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) using a time-of-flight electron spectrometer are presented. The procedure for making quantitative measurements with such SEMs is shown to be much simpler and versatile than using conventional SEMs. SEMs which use an electron time-of-flight spectrometer are able to operate as multicontrast analytical probes, capable of simultaneously quantifying surface topography, voltage, and material type. In addition, it is demonstrated that these SEMs can be designed to have high spatial resolution, good signal-to-noise characteristics, and to be of compact table-top size.