Monte Carlo simulation study of backscattered electron imaging in a chemical vapor deposition scanning electron microscope

A new MC simulation code has been formulated to describe backscattered electron imaging in a chemical vapor deposition scanning electron microscope (CVD-SEM), which we have recently developed for in-situ observation of nucleation and crystal growth of CVD diamond films. This simulation enables us to elucidate the basic mechanism of contrast formation and spatial resolution of the backscattered electron image (BEI) of a diamond film which is synthesized by a microwave plasma in the CVD-SEM, The result has accurately described the experiment, providing intimate insight into BEI-formation; those electrons that are backscattered to the detector by direct collision with gas molecules do contribute to the increase of the background, attaining similar to 10% of the total intensity detected at high gas pressure. The present NIC simulation program is also applied for determining the optimum setup for in-situ observation of diamond film growth under CVD-SEM.