Microchannel plate detector for low voltage scanning electron microscopes

A microchannel plate detector has advantages over conventional Everhart-Thornley detectors for low voltage SEM applications. A microchannel plate can provide symmetric SEM signal detection at the low beam energies needed for non-destructive examination of integrated circuits. Microchannel plate detectors are effective for both secondary electron and backscattered electron imaging. Their relatively small size and ability to be mounted directly below the final pole piece give them improved performance relative to conventional detectors in applications requiring short working distances. A significant amount of laboratory and applications experience has shown that microchannel plates are reliable and sufficiently resistant to contamination for use in high volume, production environments which require low voltage SEM imaging.