About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Publication
Physical Review Letters
Paper
Observation of buried interfaces with low energy electron microscopy
Abstract
In this Letter we show that a coherent low energy electron beam (<100 eV) can be used to obtain real space images of structures and defects buried deep below the surface of the sample. The elastic strain fields of such buried structures, extending to the free surface, are found to give rise to localized phase shifts in the reflected electron waves, resulting in excellent image contrast under slight objective lens defocus conditions. We can now image the formation and evolution of buried interfaces and defects in situ, and in real time. Because of the very low electron energies used, this imaging method is nondestructive. © 1993 The American Physical Society.