title: A novel approach to scanning electron microscopy at ambient atmospheric pressure.
abstract: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for observing samples at ambient atmospheric pressure is introduced in this study. An additional specimen chamber with a small window is inserted in the main specimen chamber, and the window is separated with a thin membrane or diaphragm allowing electron beam propagation. Close proximity of the sample to the membrane enables the detection of back-scattered electrons sufficient for imaging. In addition to the empirical imaging data, a probability analysis of the un-scattered fraction of the incident electron beam further supports the feasibility of atmospheric SEM imaging over a controlled membrane-sample distance.
authors.affiliation: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-8504, Japan ominami-yusuke@naka.hitachi-hitec.com.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ominami
authors.affiliation: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawanishi
authors.affiliation: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata city 951-9510, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ushiki
authors.affiliation: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Sukehiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
keywords: atmospheric pressure; membrane; scanning electron microscope; un-scattered electrons