Study of semiconductor detectors for scanning electron microscope.

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with semiconductor radiation detectors for the detection of back-scattered and secondary electrons in a scanning electron microscopes. The work consists of analysing, both theoretically and experimentally, Si p-n junction cells and Au-Si thin film contacts as regards their current gain when irradiated by electrons having energies in the range 4 to 8 Kev. The current gain, in both photovoltaic and photodiode modes is obtained and was of the order of 1000. This device virtually acts as a high gain amplifier with an electron beam as its input.