Real-Time Scanning Charged-Particle Microscope Image Composition with Correction of Drift

TL;DR

This paper presents a real-time SEM image composition method that reduces drift-induced distortions by aligning and combining multiple rapid frames, improving image quality and enabling drift analysis without extra equipment.

Contribution

A novel real-time SEM image composition technique that corrects drift distortions by aligning rapid frames, enhancing image clarity and providing drift insights.

Findings

Significantly reduces drift-related image distortions.

Produces higher quality images with less noise.

Allows analysis of instrument drift over time.

Abstract

In this article, a new scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image composition technique is described, which can significantly reduce drift related image corruptions. Drift-distortion commonly causes blur and distortions in the SEM images. Such corruption ordinarily appears when conventional image-acquisition methods, i.e. "slow scan" and "fast scan", are applied. The damage is often very significant; it may render images unusable for metrology applications, especially, where sub-nanometer accuracy is required. The described correction technique works with a large number of quickly taken frames, which are properly aligned and then composed into a single image. Such image contains much less noise than the individual frames, whilst the blur and deformation is minimized. This technique also provides useful information about changes of the sample position in time, which may be applied to investigate the drift properties of the instrument without a need of additional equipment.