• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.155-159
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• 2016

This paper analyses the relationship between the distribution of a dielectric layer on the apex of a metal field electron emitter and the distribution of electron emission. Emitters were prepared by coating a tungsten emitter with a layer of epoxylite resin. A high-resolution scanning electron microscope was used to monitor the emitter profile and measure the coating thickness. Field electron microscope studies of the emission current distribution from these composite emitters (Tungsten-Clark Electromedical Instruments Epoxylite resin [Tungsten/CEI-resin emitter]) have been carried out. Two forms of image have been observed: bright single-spot images, thought to be associated with a smooth substrate and a uniform dielectric layer; and multi-spot images, though to be associated with irregularity in the substrate or the dielectric layer.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.892-898
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• 2013

A field emission projection microscope was constructed to investigate the atomic and chemical-bonding structure of molecules using electron in-line holography. Fringes of carbon nanotube images were found to be interferograms equivalent to those created by the electron biprism in conventional electron microscopy. By exploiting carbon nanotubes as the filament of the electron biprism, we measured the transverse coherence length of the electron beam from tungsten field emitters. The measurements revealed that a partially coherent electron-beam was emitted from a finite area.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.227-237
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• 2016

This investigation deals with the process of field electron emission from composite microemitters. Tested emitters consisted of a tungsten or carbon-fiber core, coated with a dielectric material. Two coating materials were used: (1) Clark Electromedical Instruments Epoxylite resin and (2) Epidian 6 Epoxy resin (based on bisphenol A). Various properties of these emitters were measured, including the current-voltage characteristics, which are presented as Fowler-Nordheim plots, and the corresponding electron emission images. A field electron microscope with a tip (cathode) to screen (anode) distance of 10 mm was used to electrically characterize the emitters. Measurements were carried out under ultra-high vacuum conditions with a base pressure of $10^{-6}$ Pascal ($10^{-8}$ mbar).

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.244-252
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• 2016

This paper describes a new design of carbon nanotube tip. $Nanocly^{TM}$ NC 7000 Thin Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes of carbon purity (90%) and average diameter tube 9.5 nm with a high aspect-ratio (>150) were used. These tips were manufactured by employing a drawing technique using a glass puller. The glass microemitters with internal carbon nanotubes show a switch-on effect to a high current level (1 to $20{\mu}A$). A field electron microscope with a tip (cathode)-screen (anode) separation at ~10 mm was used to characterize the electron emitters. The system was evacuated down to a base pressure of ${\sim}10^{-9}$ mbar when baked at up to ${\sim}200^{\circ}C$ overnight. This allowed measurements of typical Field Electron Emission characteristics; namely the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and the emission images on a conductive phosphorus screen (the anode). Fowler-Nordheim plots of the current-voltage characteristics show current switch-on for each of these emitters.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.214-217
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• 2015

This study introduces metal coating as an effective sample preparation method to remove charge-up caused by the shadow effect during field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analysis of dynamic structured samples. During a FE-SEM analysis, charge-up occurs when the primary electrons (input electrons) that scan the specimens are not equal to the output electrons (secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, auger electrons, etc.) generated from the specimens. To remove charge-up, a metal layer of Pt, Au or Pd is applied on the surface of the sample. However, in some cases, charge-up still occurs due to the shadow effect. This study developed a coating method that effectively removes charge-up. By creating a converted sample stage capable of simultaneous tilt and rotation, the shadow effect was successfully removed, and image data without charge-up were obtained.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2017

This paper describes experiments aimed at characterizing the behavior of field electron emitters fabricated by coating carbon fibers with epoxylite resin. Polyacrylonitrile carbon fibers of type VPR-19, thermally treated at $2,800^{\circ}C$, were used. Each was initially prepared in a "uncoated" state, by standard electro polishing and cleaning techniques, and was then examined in a scanning electron microscope. The fiber was then baked overnight in a field electron microscope (FEM) vacuum chamber. Current-voltage characteristics and FEM images were recorded on the following day or later. The fiber was then removed from the FEM, coated with resin, "cured" by baking, and replaced in the FEM. After another overnight bake, the FEM characterization measurements were repeated. The coated fibers had significantly better performance than uncoated fibers. This confirms the results of earlier experiments, and is thought to be due in part to the formation of a conducting channel in the resin over layer. For the coated fiber, lower voltages were needed to obtain the same emission current. The coated fibers have current-voltage characteristics that show smoother trends, with greater stability and repeatability. No switch-on phenomena were observed. In addition, the emission images on the phosphor-coated FEM screen were more concentrated, and hence brighter.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2001

Current leakage is the major failure mode of semiconductor device characteristic failures. Conventionally, failures such as short circuit breaks and gate breakdowns have been analyzed and the detected causes have been reflected in the fabrication process. By using a wafer-level emission-leakage failure analysis method (in-line QC), we analyzed leakage mode failure, which is the major failure detected during the probe inspection process for LSIs, typically DRAMs and CMOS logic LSIs. We have thus developed a new technique that copes with the critical structural failures and random failures that directly affect probe yields.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.41-47
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• 2008

This study aims to obtain machining characteristics during AFM (Atomic force Microscope) machining of silicon wafers and to monitor the machining states using acoustic emission. As in micro scale machining, two distinct regimes of deformation, i. e. ploughing regime and cutting regime were observed. First, the transition between the two regimes are investigated by analyzing the "pile-up" during machining. As far as in process monitoring is concerned, in the ploughing repime, no chips have been formed and related AE RMS values are relatively low, In the mean time, in the cutting regime, the RMS values are significantly higher than the ploughing regime, with apparent chip formation. From the results, we found out that the proposed scheme can be used for the monitoring of nanomachining, especially for the characterization of nanocutting mode transition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.50-55
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• 2003

Atomic force microscope(AFM) techniques are increasingly used for tribological studies of engineering surfaces at scales ranging from atomic and molecular to microscale. AFM with suitable tips is being used for nanofabrication nanomachining purposes. In this paper, machining characteristics of silicon have been investigated by nano indentation and nano scratch. Mechanisms of material removal on the microscale are studied and the Taguchi method is introduced to acquire optimum parameters for nanomachining. This work shows effectiveness of the Taguchi method in nanomachining. Also, Acoustic Emission(AE) is introduced for the monitoring of nanomachining.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.259-263
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• 2004

Rubber-modified epoxy resins have been employed as adhesive and matrix materials for glass and corbon-fiber composites. The behavior of fracture around a crack tip for rubber-modified epoxy resin is investigated through the acoustic emission (AE) analysis of compact tension specimens. Damage zone and rubber particles distributed around a crack tip were observed by a polarized optical microscope and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The damage zone in front of pre-crack tip in rubber-modified specimen $(15wt\%\; rubber)$ began to form at about $13\%$ level of the fracture load and grew in size until $57\%$ load level. After that, the crack propagated in a stick-slip manner. Based on time-frequency analysis of AE signals and microscopic observation of damage zone, it was thought that AE signals with frequency bands of 0.15-0.20 MHz and 0.20­0.30 MHz were generated from cavitation in the damage zone and crack propagation, respectively.