Point-spread functions for backscattered imaging in the scanning electron microscope

2007

Article

ei

pn

One knows the imaging system's properties are central to the correct interpretation of any image. In a scanning electron microscope regions of different composition generally interact in a highly nonlinear way during signal generation. Using Monte Carlo simulations we found that in resin-embedded, heavy metal-stained biological specimens staining is sufficiently dilute to allow an approximately linear treatment. We then mapped point-spread functions for backscattered-electron contrast, for primary energies of 3 and 7 keV and for different detector specifications. The point-spread functions are surprisingly well confined (both laterally and in depth) compared even to the distribution of only those scattered electrons that leave the sample again.

@article{HennigD2007,
  title = {Point-spread functions for backscattered imaging in the scanning electron microscope },
  author = {Hennig, P. and Denk, W.},
  journal = {Journal of Applied Physics },
  volume = {102},
  number = {12},
  pages = {1-8},
  month = dec,
  year = {2007},
  doi = {10.1063/1.2817591},
  month_numeric = {12}
}