Abstract
A new type of microscopy is described here which uses a focused, modulated electron beam to generate ultrasonic waves at the front surface of a specimen and a piezoelectric transducer to detect these waves at the rear surface. The transducer output is used to form a scanned, magnified image of the specimen. A unique feature of this technique is that image contrast comes primarily from spatial variations in thermal and elastic properties. Images of integrated circuits have been obtained with ∼4 µm resolution. In thin film specimens 0.1 µm resolution should be possible.
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Cargill, G. Ultrasonic imaging in scanning electron microscopy. Nature 286, 691–693 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286691a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/286691a0
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