D. Goeuriot

Electron beam charging of insulators: A self-consistent flight-drift model

Electron beam irradiation and the self-consistent charge transport in bulk insulating samples are described by means of a new flight-drift model and an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic secondary electron and hole transport is followed by electron and hole drifts, their possible recombination and/or trapping in shallow and deep traps. The trap capture cross sections are the Poole-Frenkel-type temperature and field dependent. As a main result the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges ρ(x,t), the field F(x,t), and the potential slope V(x,t) are obtained in a self-consistent procedure as well as the time-dependent secondary electron emission rate σ(t) and the surface potential V0(t). For bulk insulating samples the time-dependent distributions approach the final stationary state with j(x,t)=const=0 and σ=1. Especially for low electron beam energies E0<4keV the incorporation of mainly positive charges can be controlled by the potential VG of a vacuum grid in front of the target surface. For...

Secondary electron emission and self-consistent charge transport and storage in bulk insulators: Application to alumina

The self-consistent charge transport in bulk alumina samples during electron beam irradiation is described by means of an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic electron and hole transport as well as their recombination and trapping are included. As a main result the time-dependent secondary electron emission rate σ(t) and the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges ρ(x,t), the field F(x,t), and the potential slope V(x,t) are obtained. For bulk insulating samples, the time-dependent distributions approach the final stationary state with j(x,t)=const=0 and σ=1. Especially for low electron beam energies E0=1 keV, the incorporation of charges can be controlled by the potential VG of a vacuum electrode in front of the target surface. Finally, for high electron beam energies, the real negative surface potential V0<0 is measured by x-ray bremsstrahlung spectra and the shift of the short wavelength edge. For the initial beam energy E0=30 keV, the experimental value V0=−16 kV is still in good agreemen...

Electron Beam Charging of Insulators with Surface Layer and Leakage Currents

The electron beam induced self-consistent charge transport in layered insulators (here, bulk alumina covered by a thin silica layer) is described by means of an electron-hole flight-drift model and an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic secondary electrons and holes, their attenuation and drift, as well as their recombination, trapping, and detrapping are included. Thermal and field-enhanced detrapping are described by the Poole–Frenkel effect. Furthermore, an additional surface layer with a modified electric surface conductivity is included which describes the surface leakage currents and will lead to particular charge incorporation at the interface between the surface layer and the bulk substrate. As a main result, the time-dependent secondary electron emission rate σ(t) and the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges ρ(x,t), field F(x,t), and potential V(x,t) are obtained. For bulk full insulating samples, the time-dependent distributions approach the final stationary state with j(x,t)=c...

Stability of trapped charges in sapphires and alumina ceramics: Evaluation by secondary electron emission

The stability of trapped charges in sapphires and alumina ceramics is characterized via an experimental parameter expressing the variation of the secondary electron emission yield between two electron injections performed in a scanning electron microscope. Two types of sapphires and polycrystalline alumina, which differ mainly by their impurity content, are investigated in the temperature range 300–663K. The stable trapping behavior in sapphires is attributed to trapping in different defects, whose nature depends on the purity level. In alumina ceramics, the ability to trap charges in a stable way is stronger in samples of high impurity content. In the low impurity samples, stable trapping is promoted when the grain diameter decreases, whereas the reverse is observed in high impurity materials. These behaviors can stem from a gettering effect occurring during sintering. The strong dependence of the variation of the secondary electron emission yield on the grain diameter and impurities enables a scaling of...

Electron beam probing of insulators

Electron beam irradiation and charge injection associated by selfconsistent charge transport in insulating samples are described by means of an electron-hole flight-drift model (FDM) implemented by an iterative computer simulation [1,2]. Ballistic scattering and transport of secondary electrons and holes is followed by electron and hole drift, their possible recombination and/or trapping in shallow and deep traps. Furthermore a detrapping by the temperature- and field-dependent Poole-Frenkel-effect becomes possible allowing even a charge hopping transport. In this context a special surface layer has been installed to investigate surface leakage currents, see Fig.1.