Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France, CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble, France, FEI Company, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR, United States, FEI Electron Optics B.V., Achtseweg Noord 5, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Recent improvements in a SEM-based X-ray tomography system are described. In this type of equipment, X-rays are generated through the interaction between a highly focused electron-beam and a geometrically confined anode target. Unwanted long-term drifts of the e-beam can lead to loss of X-ray flux or decrease of spatial resolution in images. To circumvent this issue, a closed-loop control using FFT-based image correlation is integrated to the acquisition routine, in order to provide an in-line drift correction. The X-ray detection system consists of a state-of-the-art scientific CMOS camera (indirect detection), featuring high quantum efficiency (?60%) and low read-out noise (?1.2 electrons). The system performance is evaluated in terms of resolution, detectability, and scanning times for applications covering three different scientific fields: microelectronics, technical textile, and material science. © 2017 Author(s).

Microelectronics, Quantum theory, Tomography, Closed-loop control, Focused electron beams, High quantum efficiency, Image correlations, Indirect detection, Spatial resolution, Technical textiles, X-ray detection system, Imaging systems